Jack Bogle: 'This is the most difficult time to invest'

[chinaco]

Jack's assessment of the situation.

Jack Bogle: 'This is the most difficult time to invest' - Dec. 31, 2010

 

[TromboneAl]

Because his walker gets stuck in the snow.

 

[Nords]

Because his walker gets stuck in the snow.

What's the survivor lifespan for heart-transplant patients?

 

[audreyh1]

Bogle: It's a bad period for this [dividend] philosophy. In 2008 we had one of the largest cuts in dividends in the history of the S&P 500. Now the dividends don't seem to be coming back, even though the earnings have.

What are the corporations trying to tell us? I don't know. Maybe they're trying to tell you that these earnings are phony, and we don't have money to pay you dividends.

I think it's just that companies no longer think they have to pay investors dividends for investors to buy their stocks. So they siphon cash over to whatever benefits management's pocketbook the most.

Oh - lowest interest rates in decades (forever?) is also part of it.....

Audrey

 

[REWahoo]

What's the survivor lifespan for heart-transplant patients?

Bogle has made it 14 years and the record appears to be 31. If he breaks the record he'll have to make it to 99.

 

[erwannebe68]

Forgive me for this first and probably single commentary, but:

Trombone Al:

"Because his walker gets stuck in the snow."

Nords:

"What's the survivor lifespan for heart-transplant patients?"


I'll assume neither of you have benefited from Jack Bogle's efforts, nor do you expect to experience personal medical issues or grow old.

Maybe I read your commentary wrong, but is this some sort of sadly perverted humor?

I've no crusade beyond this short rant, but I'm sure he gave and continues to give more intelligently and energetically to the average investor than either one of you or I likely ever will.

Sorry for the intrusion here.

wannabe

 

[W2R]

Hi erwannabe68,

Why not post an introduction in the "Hi, I am..." section? Then if you should feel inspired to post again, we would know a little bit about you.

If you have been reading the board for a while, then you probably know that Trombone Al and Nords are two of our oldest and most respected board members, and know very well who Bogle is as well as appreciate his contributions. They both have a very well developed sense of humor.

 

[REWahoo]

An atrophied sense of humor is a sad thing to see...

 

[traineeinvestor]

With all due respect to Mr Bogle (who has made a huge contribution to investors generally), I have been listening to people (some more respected than others) tell me that "now" is a difficult time to invest, that right now is the time to be cautious etc etc since I started investing in the 1980s. That said, I'd be a lot more worried if optimism became the universal investment thesis once again.

 

[Nords]

Maybe I read your commentary wrong, but is this some sort of sadly perverted humor?
I've no crusade beyond this short rant, but I'm sure he gave and continues to give more intelligently and energetically to the average investor than either one of you or I likely ever will.
Sorry for the intrusion here.
wannabe

Are you saying that all of my humor is sadly perverted, or just this one instance? I've never been sure myself.

I was bringing to Al's attention that Bogle seems to be doing pretty well for a heart-transplant survivor, and perhaps the walker comment was more a commentary from Al's beaver than from Al himself. But I guess it's good that you posted your concerns publicly so that I could explain our cryptic shorthand.

Since you don't know me very well, and don't know what I do for the people I care about, I'll pass right by that "Saint Jack" shot.

If this is the most important topic you could find on this board worthy of your first post then you might want to consider what other intelligent and energetic contributions you could make to the rest of us average investors, too.

 

[Onward]

Good interview. It looks like in the second-to-last question, "You didn't mention international funds," the first part of his answer got bolded and appears as part of the question.

 

[kumquat]

Because his walker gets stuck in the snow.

Where does he live? Why would anyone with his $ live where ice and snow exist outside of a refrigerator?

 

[foxfirev5]

Stay the course. Just have lowered expectations

 

[Helen]

Thank you for posting, that was an interesting article/interview. We certainly are living through interesting times.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Stay the course. Just have lowered expectations

+1

 

[FinanceDude]

What would one expect an octagenarian to say? Heck, everyone I know born during the Depression thinks another one is just around the corner, and they have been saying that forever..............

 

[RonBoyd]

What would one expect an octagenarian to say? Heck, everyone I know born during the Depression thinks another one is just around the corner, and they have been saying that forever..............

And, lo and behold, everytime we turn a corner...

 

[ERD50]

Forgive me for this first and probably single commentary, but:

Trombone Al:

"Because his walker gets stuck in the snow."

Nords:

"What's the survivor lifespan for heart-transplant patients?"


I'll assume neither of you have benefited from Jack Bogle's efforts, nor do you expect to experience personal medical issues or grow old.

Maybe I read your commentary wrong, but is this some sort of sadly perverted humor?

I've no crusade beyond this short rant, but I'm sure he gave and continues to give more intelligently and energetically to the average investor than either one of you or I likely ever will.

Sorry for the intrusion here.

wannabe

I didn't 'get' the comments either, if that is any solace (and I'm not saying it should be). I didn't take it as some perverse humor, but OTOH, I couldn't rule it out either. I still don't get it, even after the responses. It's OK, I'll find something else to laugh about, I do have a sense of humor. In fact, I usually find REWahoo and TromboneAl to be hilarious.

-ERD50

 

[target2019]

First thing I notice is that Lady GaGa has a Polaroid line. Maybe Jack glanced to his left, saw this factoid, and became disoriented. I believe he lives outside of Philadelphia. So, snow and ice to be expected. If you call him John, it proves you are not a boglehead.

It would be better investment of time to read one of his books. In that article I don't think his philosophy comes across very well.

 

[Texas Proud]

I didn't 'get' the comments either, if that is any solace (and I'm not saying it should be). I didn't take it as some perverse humor, but OTOH, I couldn't rule it out either. I still don't get it, even after the responses. It's OK, I'll find something else to laugh about, I do have a sense of humor. In fact, I usually find REWahoo and TromboneAl to be hilarious.

-ERD50

The reason REWahoo is funny is the Texas sun has baked his head....

Can not comment on TAl... maybe it is all that blowing

 

[RonBoyd]

First thing I notice is that Lady GaGa has a Polaroid line.

Polaroid is doing quite well thank you:


Polaroid 3”x4” Instant Digital Camera, 3”x4” Instant Mobile Printer, PIC 1000


Polaroid GL30 Instant Digital Camera, GL10 Instant Mobile Printer

 

[Danmar]

ACtually I found the interview obtuse, inconsistant, and not very useful. Now is a hard time to invest? When was that not true except in hindsight? I am sure Bogle has made great contibutions but this interview wouldn't appear to be one of them, IMHO.

 

[TromboneAl]

is this some sort of sadly perverted humor?

It's what I do.

I didn't 'get' the comments either, if that is any solace (and I'm not saying it should be). I didn't take it as some perverse humor

OK, here's the joke. The article says "This is the most difficult time to invest." Actually it's never difficult to invest, although it may be difficult to invest wisely or to make investment decisions.

Anyway my joke was to take it more literally than intended -- that is, "the most physically difficult time to invest."

Bogle is old, and it's snowy this time of year, so an image of Bogle going to the bank in the snow with a walker came into my sadly perverted head, and it struck me as kind of funny.

 

[RonBoyd]

"This is the most difficult time to invest." Actually it's never difficult to invest, although it may be difficult to invest wisely or to make investment decisions.

Anyway my joke was to take it more literally than intended -- that is, "the most physically difficult time to invest."

Bogle is old, and it's snowy this time of year, so an image of Bogle going to the bank in the snow with a walker came into my sadly perverted head, and it struck me as kind of funny.

And now it is. (Exceedingly so.) More proof in the adage about worthless posts and pictures.

 

[calmloki]

Sure - this is funny but me making a joke about some unknown-to-me lawyer's brain cancer is bad. Next thing you know jokes about old ladies with walkers on icy sidewalks will be tut-tutted.