On 2008-09-28 01:02:12 -0400, Larry said:

Jere Lull wrote in news:2008092716442316807-
jerelull@maccom:

Should the entire economy tank and we go into a depression, my
investments and house will have the same value relative to the price of
bread, about the only true measure.

I'm currently deciding where to invest my severance. It won't be under
the mattress.

Actually, those that had cash in 1929 did quite well for themselves,
according to my grandparents who were dairy farmers. Apples sold for 5c
at retail. If you had a dollar's worth, you couldn't carry it alone.

Those that had money stored with the bankers, of course, were the
starving one with those that had nothing all along. For that reason,
drilled into me by my grandparents, I've never kept much of the pittance
I possess in the banker's purse, where it can get lost in a heartbeat,
vanishing into thin air.

I agree with this and the stuff I snipped, particularly the insurance,
having been in the biz as a programmer. Biggest insurance scam, of
course, is "social security", the most regressive tax we have.

As I think I said somewhere, diversification is the key. Some cash,
some fixed, some large caps, some small, some European and emerging
markets, and so forth. I trust the broad markets more than the banks
and governments.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-à-Deux -- Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/