How to Survive and Thrive in a Bear Market.
April 25, 1999. I am sick and tired of hearing from the Bears that the world of finance is coming
to an end in a matter of a few weeks or months. They have been saying that for the past five years and it hasn’t
happened yet. As far as I’m concerned, it won’t happen for at least another ten to twenty years.
This has been the best this country has seen since day one and it will continue for some time.
I’m not saying that we won’t have a correction in the foreseeable future, which will only make the bull market
that much stronger, but I don’t see a sustainable bear market that will put a damper on your long term goals, especially
the retirees and baby boomers who are fueling the market. Good times are here to stay!
In 1999, the market volatility continues, but the blue chips are still on their way up. Consumer
confidence remains high and Internet stocks are fueling the technology rally on Wall Street. Earlier this year,
the European Monetary Union successfully introduced a common European currency, the Euro. This will only help the
U.S. stock markets and will also help Europe gain in their monetary problems.
Some pundits have been writing that this prolonged bull market is unprecedented, quite dangerous,
and cannot remain at this level for much longer. However, technology is going to carry this market into the 21st
century. Remember thirty years ago people were saying that technology was going to put everyone out of work. Well,
everyone was wrong, technology has increased jobs. And it will even get better as companies increase productivity
while keeping expenses down. This is the key to higher earnings. Better earnings will automatically give the investor
higher stock prices.
Investors need to focus on their long term financial goals and establish and maintain an overall
plan to obtain those goals. Part of that planning requires that individuals examine their risk tolerance and set
realistic expectation for long term investment performance. Investors with a personal financial plan in place are
the best prepared to face the bullish markets that await us in the new millennium.
George
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