It was never easier. We see the great opportunities of the past after they have become history and do not recall that at the time it was not so easy to tell the nuggets from the pyrite.
I don't claim to have perfect memory, but I do have really vivid memories of financial events (unlike say movies where I can seldom remember what will happen next). I can remember resisting the urging of my mom and other to buy real estate in Silicon Valley opps. (although keeping money stocks was just as good. ) In 1993, I sold stock options and could find nothing better to do than my off my good adjustable loan, this was clearly a mistake.
Since I retired in 99/2000, invested has become more like a job (one that I like) rather than a hobby. So I have much clearer memories of my decisions. But not only that, I've been posting my investment thoughts discussion boards like this one or TMF retire early board. So when I say I thought stocks were super cheap in late 2008, and 2009, I can point to post like
this one a week before the bottom saying Berkshire is good and a safe investment. I threw in the standard disclaimer, but I knew it was a buy. That was easy investing, the only question is when you'd start making good money not if. I can do the same thing for my investment views in 2000 back in on TMF.
I went back and looked at some of my 2007 posts, my AA was 65/35% back then. I thought bonds were not very attractive and stocks were looking fairly valued, but I wasn't whining about not having any good opportunities.
Harder? How could it be harder? Bond interest is at extreme lows, cash and CDs yield close to nothing, and stocks are priced to give unusually low returns with unusually high risk.
What's not to like? Just stay the course! Renew your vows to Lord Bogle!
Ha
Ha nails it. By any objective measurement 2014 is a much more challenging investment environment than 2007. Interest rates are lower, governmental debt is higher, P/E are much higher, and we've just come off a crazy good year. Now there may not be anything, the average investor can or should do. But I don't see the benefit of pretending that all investment periods are the same.