You can bet investors will be phoning their brokers in a week or two when they get their January statements. The phone never rings when the marketโ€™s up. And it never ceases to amaze me how quickly investors forgetโ€”2008 wasnโ€™t that long ago.

Itโ€™s never a good idea to expect the markets to do something for you. Go back to 1965 and the top Billboard single was โ€œWooly Bullyโ€ by Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was trading at 969.

Woolly Bully

Fast forward sixteen years, a good chunk of a retirement for many, to 1981 and โ€œBette Davis Eyesโ€ by Kim Carnes was at the top of the charts. And the Dow was at 875.

Bette Davis Eyes

Dow from 12-31-1965 to 12-31-1981

Those โ€œboringโ€ investors who invested in dividend paying stocks, with a normalized yield at the time of 4%, lived to fight another day. Those who didnโ€™t were singing the #4 Billboard single (Just Like) Starting Over, by John Lennon.

(Just Like) Starting Over

Investing in dividend paying stocks that consistently kick-off 4% yields isn’t easy. But Young Research’s Retirement Compounders program is doing it

 

E.J. Smith works with new investors that have $2 million or more to invest. He can be reached at:ejsmith@youngresearch.com