Robbed Blind

As you can see in this chart, stocks had a tough go of it from 1967 to 1982, gaining hardly any ground. Fifteen years is a long time—a retirement for some. But what’s not illustrated by the chart is the loss from inflation. It’s a lot worse than it looks. According to a report by Laffer Associates, stocks lost two-thirds of their value from 1967 to 1982 when accounting for inflation. That’s why it’s crucial to get paid for investing in the stock market. Dividends are the nickels and dimes you pick up here and there to help you combat the losses you can’t even see.