Broken Fences

from Bruce Krasting by Bruce Krasting:


Broken Fences:

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I believe that one should own equities in an investment portfolio. I think there should be some discipline as to how large a percentage equities should be as share of the total. A long establish rule on this question is that one takes their age, and subtracts it from 100. The result is the percentage that should be dedicated to stocks. For a person who is 20 years old, 80% in stocks was the recommendation. For a guy like me, at age 62, the number falls to only 38%.

After fours years of ZIRP and QE you can take that old formula and kiss it good by. It doesn’t work in June of 2012; it’s not going to work anytime over the next five years. With interest rates now at levels guaranteeing a negative real rate of return well past 10 years, the allocation to equities has to go way, way up in order to have a chance of matching the real rates of return achievable five years ago.

The dilemma that I face is exactly what Bernanke wants me to confront. He wants me to be 100% in equities. He is convinced that higher stock prices are the only way to get the economy moving. At this point in history, I think that his actions are now slowing the economy.

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My point is to describe something that I believe is a big drag on the economy. When I (and others) book a job three months in advance, the contractor can hire more workers knowing when checks will be coming in. My visibility creates the contractors visibility. The predictability of revenue creates the opportunity for economic expansion and job creation.

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The idea that lower interest rates are hurting savers is an old one. The question is, "How significant are the negative consequences of low interest rates?" The multi-decade efforts in Japan to reflate an economy with low interest rates is a shining example of policy that has not worked.

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Social Security is a good  example of where low interest rates are causing severe pain. The SS Trust Fund is sitting on a wad of cash. The interest on the portfolio was projected to extend the life of the Trust Fund for decades to come. Bernanke's zero interest rate policy will accelerate the death of the Trust Fund by ten years. What's that going to cost us? Trillions is the answer.