Monday, March 12, 2012

Weird's Deep Thoughts (Monday Morning Edition) Why Stocks Are Riskier Than You Think


Most people can get the money they need for retirement without gambling heavily on equities, say Wall St Journal’s Zvi Bodie and Rachelle Taqqu...

Even though they experienced the hazards of stock ownership firsthand in 2008, investors are venturing back into equities again. They've been advised that there's no other way to make up the losses they suffered—or meet their looming retirement requirements—and, not to worry, the risk of stocks diminishes the longer you hold them. The Federal Reserve, meanwhile, has announced that it intends to keep interest rates low through 2014—providing a powerful inducement to stay in stocks since bonds will probably generate unusually low returns.

The desire to get back what you lost is understandable. But, as behavioral economists have shown, it can also cloud your judgment and lead you to take more risk than you can handle. Despite the assurances of the financial industry, stocks are always a risky investment, and the longer you hold them, the better your chances of getting blindsided by a downturn….

Read all about it at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204795304577221052377253224.html?mod=markets_newsreel

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