LAT: Experts At A Loss On Investing

[Carolab]

Good article worth the read.

THE NATION

Experts Are at a Loss on Investing
Nobel winners and top academics fumble the sorts of decisions Bush's Social Security overhaul plan would ask average Americans to make.

By Peter G. Gosselin, Times Staff Writer


WASHINGTON — Harry M. Markowitz won the Nobel Prize in economics as the father of "modern portfolio theory," the idea that people shouldn't put all of their eggs in one basket, but should diversify their investments.

However, when it came to his own retirement investments, Markowitz practiced only a rudimentary version of what he preached. He split most of his money down the middle, put half in a stock fund and the other half in a conservative, low-interest investment.

"In retrospect, it would have been better to have been more in stocks when I was younger," the 77-year-old economist acknowledged.

At least Markowitz invested more wisely than some of his fellow Nobelists. Several of them concede that they have significant portions of their nest eggs in money market accounts, some of the lowest-returning investment vehicles available.


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-nobel11may11,0,7807169.story?page=1&coll=la-home-headlines

[Psephos]

1. "Do as I say, not as I do."

Seems to be an epidemic of that in this country these days.

Peace.

[Boo Boo]

2. Since Nov. 2000 investing has become really easy

Just ask yourself, "What would Dick Cheney do?"

[sendero]

3. I have an even easier plan...

... I got the hell out of common stocks, and I'm staying out.

Yes, I'm getting crap returns. But at least I'm not risking my life savings to the whims of a moron presidential economic policy that after five freaking years has yet to yield any real fruit.

In the Wall-Street-Bush casino I'm betting snake-eyes.