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Speculation

The activity of forecasting the psychology of the market. In the context of investing and using Benjamin Graham’s definition, "an investment operation is one which, upon thorough analysis, promises safety of principal and an adequate return. Operations not meeting these requirements are speculative."

What Retirees Should Make of the Low Volatility, No-Fear Market

The fear index seems to be signaling that all is well.

The Chicago Board Options Exchange volatility index (“VIX”) represents the short-term (30 days) implied volatility of a S&P 500 option.  The VIX—also known as the fear index—has returned to pre-financial crisis levels.

The last time the VIX was at this level was last April—right before the index surged as a result of the flash crash and sovereign debt rumblings.  Before that, comparably low levels date back to pre-financial crisis 2007.

The Potential Impact of a Dollar Crisis

A recent Business Week article discusses the possibility of a crash in the U.S. dollar and what the fallout of a dollar crisis might entail.

The author, Peter Coy, asserts that most economists and investors are discounting the possibility o f a crash in the U.S. dollar. 

John Bogle Says Avoid the Stock Market if Your Time Horizon is Less than 10 Years

Vanguard founder John Bogle suggests that buy and hold investing is not dead.

Similar to Warren Buffett, Bogle's preferred time horizon for equity investments is forever.

Bogle urges caution for anyone who is thinking of investing in equity market with a time horizon of less than 10 years--which, by the way, would include almost all people who are approacing or in retirement:

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