I voted early today at the Brownsville Public Library, and I highly recommend it. I waited in line for perhaps 5 minutes at 9:00AM. I forgot to bring my registration, but all I needed was my driver's license. They're open from 9 to 6 for anyone who wants to avoid long election day lines.
Has McCain just given up on courting independent voters? This new "real America" talking point only appeals to the egos of his base on the far right. Is the campaign so desperate that they're now worried about them as well? I can't wait for this election to end so I can stop hearing about a new sleazy campaign tactic each week. Having Palin conduct the attacks does nothing but make McCain look too weak to do it himself. McCain has neither the dignity nor the integrity necessary to be President.
Well, you obviously can't avoid volatility completely. But I use a simple system that reduces it. I don't have the risk tolerance or enough interest in stocks to buy individual stocks or even exclusively index funds. I wanted something I could set up and forget most of the time.
This simple system by former presidential candidate Harry Browne fits the bill. In his "permanent portfolio," investments are allocated as follows: 25% stocks (for prosperous times), 25% bonds (for prosperous times and deflationary times), 25% gold (for inflationary times), and 25% cash (for tight money/recessionary times).
The diversification allows you to ride out ups and downs with minimal risk. You evaluate and rebalance your portfolio only once per year. I also like to set stop losses so I can minimize worry even during days like today.
Check out the book if you want a nice, simple way to manage your investments.
I don't want to be a scaremonger, but it would not hurt for people to stock up on some provisions and some extra cash. My guess is that the next 6 months to one year will be very rocky for the economy. If the depression doesn't come, you'll be very prepared for the next hurricane.
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