Is It Time to Buy a House Yet?
Not according to this chart. This article, Is It Time to Buy a House Yet?, was part of today's Must Read newsletter from Seeking Alpha (a good resource for investors). It caught my attention. I like to read stories about housing. But what really caught my attention was the chart you just saw. Do we really have a few more years of downturn? I think so. I don't think we're out of the woods yet. But as with everything, and especially money issues, you never know. Mr. Smith does have some valid and interesting points. Here a few. Simply put: if the bubble took seven years to reach its blow-off top, then its decline will typically take a similar length of time as prices fully retrace to pre-bubble levels. As…
Where to be in 2010? Investor picks.
Just the type of an article I like in the latest Barron's, The Best ETF Bets for 2010 John Mauldin, Millennium Wave Advisors "A healthy dose of cash and other forms of fixed income may be the best prescription for 2010." Mauldin recommends putting money temporarily in short-maturity corporate and municipal bond ETFs like and . He sees the economy headed for a second recessionary dip later this year, and so recommends rotating into defensive funds -- particularly, high-dividend-payers like or . Mauldin also likes health-care funds, especially those with biotechnology exposure such as . He is bullish on biotech: One of the purer plays is ."Wait for the real buying opportunity."Longer term, Mauldin recommends gradually shifting portfolio weights from securities of developed countries whose valuations "are out of whack"…
New Frontiers: Emerging Markets Funds
Here are some funds that offer diversified exposure to the emerging markets in Europe, Asia, Africa/Middle East, and Latin America. These are taken from the latest BusinessWeek, Dec 28th edition. Sorted by 2009 Total Return 98% Europe, 1% Asia, 1% Latin America 70% Africa/Middle East, 30% Europe 100% Africa/Middle East 51% Latin America, 26% Africa/Middle East, 17% Europe, 6% Asia 50% Africa/Middle East, 25% Asia, 22% Europe, 3% Latin America
Bets for a Sagging Dollar
There is a very good article on investing in the latest Kiplinger's (Feb 2010) "Make A Buck Off A Sagging Dollar." Their view is that the dollar is on the decline, and you better diversify. They have a few suggestions how you can do that. I also think the long term the dollar does not look so good. Especially when comparing it to emerging markets. Read on... You can invest in emerging-markets bonds through . "Pimco invests in 15 markets, including Poland, South Africa, Mexico, and Thailand." It's on the expensive side, though, with an annual cost of 1.35%. I try to stay under 1%, but this might be worth the price. For a lower cost alternative, check . "This exchange-traded fund, launched last summer, uses futures contracts to provide…