Comments on: The Atlantic Cover Story on Financial Survival

By: Basil2

Basil2 — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:50:41 +0000

IMO it’s hard (if not impossible) for individual to manage all risks of the stock market and economy (interest rates and inflation) to be guaranteed a reasonable income from retirement savings and until death. It’s very similar to the health care in terms of individual’s capability to meet unexpected expenses. Retirement income (pension) should be a responsability of the government who is the only one (given its taxing and money printing power) capable to cover a deficit.

By: Canadian Capitalist

Canadian Capitalist — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:05:16 +0000

@Phil: I’m not surprised at all. I think Preet wrote about this on his blog. I’m not convinced that SMEs are an investable market though.

@DGI: I think the hedge fund mania is over. Too bad, we should have launched his years ago and collected 2-and-20 fees.

By: Dividend Growth Investor

Dividend Growth Investor — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:51:44 +0000

I have an awesome idea – build a hedge fund and invest it all in S&P 500 ETFs. Then I simply charge a 2% management fee and 20% of the profits are shared with me.

I just need to hire some Ivy League PhD’s, and promote my strategy everywhere. I’m just going to call it something more exciting and it’l be something catchier..

By: Phil S

Phil S — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:16:29 +0000

I didn’t buy into the hedge fund craze, but I did buy into the private equity craze and of course got somewhat burned by it when the economy collapsed. Still, I attended a webinar yesterday that presented some interesting statistics regarding private companies… They gave some US statistics that showed:

99.7% of registered businesses are classified as Small & Medium Enterprises (SME)
1/2 of ALL private sector employees are employed by SMEs
97.3% of SMEs are exporters of goods and services

Back when I bought into some private equity funds, I didn’t know what the exact size of the non-publicly listed private sector economy but I suspected it was a massive untapped market. I just didn’t know how massive it was until yesterday’s webinar. Aren’t those interesting statistics?

By: Sherin

Sherin — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:14:15 +0000

If we search a little, we would find number of people giving stock tips. If we digg more into them, we will scare by realizing how they fooling investors and making handsome money. If he had found an place like Mussolini’s office, some people have worth more than Berkshire Hathaway owned by Warren Buffett, by cheating people.

This is the world friends. People always trying to dig where they know water is available. There are no scarcity for cowards in the fund and stock sector. If people trying to be rich by investing, fund manager trying to utilize such people to become rich. Remember the truth of nature, one always being compost to another.

Sherin – The Money Maniac