tomtom

Replace your Astroglide bottle with your chalk bag next time and let us know how it goes.

I'm guessing this is one of 'Prole''s avatars. He loves this stuff.

One might start with the question is "investing" the best way to go about planning for one's retirement at all. Absent guaranteed pensions or Social Security, putting your money in the casino has been the only option and one that was promoted breathlessly from all corners. There is no such thing as a guaranteed pension. Companies holding pensions go bankrupt. Insurers holding annuities go bust. There is a huge unfunded pension liability in many cities. SS will be less in the future. Pensions invest in the same casino you are railing about. You're demanding that gov't/business provide you a guaranteed comfortable financial retirement after a few years of work. That's an illusion. There's always risk.

For most of this century in Seattle, it's been cheaper to rent a home than to buy. The difference could have been saved for the kids' college, or saved for the parent's retirement.

And replace them with what exactly? Business crippling defined benefit plans? BWAH! There are problems with 401k's, including the fact that many are run by firms sucking huge fees from the participants. The model 401k plan is the Thrift Savings Plan (www.tsp.gov) run by the federal gov't for gov't employees. If I was president, I'd require this be an available option for every employee. Another issue is that less than 80% of employees participate in available plans. http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/retirement/2007-10-22-401k-automatic-enrollment_N.htm

No.

This *is* something to admire. The US campaign has been going on for 20 months already, and I swear both candidates were starting their campaigns for re-election with their "It's going to take more than four years ... " statements. That pretty much balances out, though.

Pension Officers Putting Billions Into Hedge Funds http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/27/business/yourmoney/27hedge.html?_r=1&oref=slogin "Michigan SEIU is urging the state Treasury Department - which has invested $786 million in state pension funds with Carlyle in the past decade - to hold the private equity firm accountable." http://progressmichigan.org/page/community/post/seiuhealthcaremi/VMz etc ... and Mutual Funds in the typical 401k are not pension funds.

Along with groups from the Boealps, Mounties, and the UW Climbing Club. Should be quite a party. Plenty of ropes for everyone.

Which often entailed investing in hedge funds that take over companies to dismantle them, force layoffs, ship jobs to places without safety net, and do whatever else is needed to make a buck today! 1) Mutual funds in the typical 401k do not invest in hedge funds. 2) Typical hedge funds are not corporate raiders. Hedge funds use different mechanisms to (try to) make money.

Theoretically yes, in practicality no. Most 401k plans include a money market fund, basically a savings account with variable interest, none of which have broken-the-buck (yet). Also, a number of plans offer Guaranteed Investment Contracts which offer a guaranteed rate of return. Many of plans offer a selection of stock, bond, or hybrid mutual funds. Pretty much all of which have been getting hammered recently. There are short term investment grade bond funds (a very conservative investment) which are down ~4%. Gov't bonds haven't been spared, as a popular TIPS fund is also down ~3% YTD.

Follow link for the rest of the article: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20081013_retirees_wake_up_to_a_swindle/ Another article proving the inability of individuals to deal with the complexities of personal finance ... the writer, of course. Hey, Obama is proposing that homeowners be allowed to raid their 401ks to pay their mortgage. Another brilliant idea.

Link please?

Here's a special one just for you.

I've invented a solar-powered tanning bed. Guaranteed to make millions!

Speaking of the (other) rocket scientists at UW: UW forgot Rule #1 of Investing: Risk and return are related. You don't get one without the other. The rest of the story.

No, this is the avenue for "mathematicians and physicists" to make a lot of money. And they do! Not every PhD wants to live on 45k/yr.

Chinese model looking really good now.

You could learn something from Don Gorske, then. He keeps a few Big Macs in the freezer for times of uncertainy. Big macs every day for 23 years. Problem solved.

The Japanese stock market closed today at less than a quarter of its value from 1989. One of the problems there was hyperinflated property prices and bad mortgages used to pay them. Hmmm.

Try adding more fiber to your diet.

... and c. chipped.

There was a next time after the last time. There will be a next time after this time. And another one after that.

Wait till next time.