Sunday, October 12, 2008

Are any assets classes worth anything anymore


Am trying to make sense of the events of the last few weeks. First the housing bubble burst - real estate was not worth too much anymore (specially if had bought anything in the last few years); then the real estate based securities - the CDO (Collateralised Debt Obligations) lost value ;  then the Stock market - not just companies that had anything to do with housing or related securities even all those which had nothing to do with them. Stocks as an asset class are not worth too much, nor are mutual funds. And then everything together, commodities , crude & Gold. Nothing seems to be worth anything anymore. Yes we all know cash is King,  the big problem, we are not too sure of the bank where we keep this cash anymore. 

If you are an ordinary citizen of the world, who is a little aware of financial planning & diversification of wealth into asset classes, the question is where do you keep networth, (whatever is left of it) to preserve it ? Not to mention the inflation rate back home in India has been in the 11- 12% for a while, meaning wealth has been eroding for those who have been cash heavy at a rate more than -10% every year.

The big question is knowing all this what am I going to do.  The answer precious nothing. I am planning to ride it out & wait for a financial scene, when the behaviour of people and hence assets is saner, something I can comprehend.

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