"Indeed, issuance of corporate bonds in July may top $36 billion, making it the biggest one-month figure in history, according to Credit Suisse First Boston. One reason companies are rushing to issue bonds now is in case investors flee the corporate-bond market ahead of the changeover to the year 2000 (fearing that the Y2K computer bug will disrupt the financial markets)." -WSJ 7-29-99

-- Puddintame (achillesg@hotmail.com), July 29, 1999

Answers

Back in 1929 corporate debt was negligible, today it is enormous.

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), July 29, 1999.

Puddintame.... I was reviewing a thread of yours quite a while ago. Is 10% gold still a good figure given the new info of late?

-- kevin (innxxs@yahoo.com), July 29, 1999.

Kevin, I think the textbooks recommend 5 to 10% in precious metals, but that's portfolio theory. I could see where an individual may want more or less depending on his means and his outlook.

Gold has been in free-fall for quite some time now. Free-fall could continue. Some people believe gold value will spike upward in the event of y2k turmoil. Others believe gold will suffer depressed prices along with other commodities.

I don't have sufficient knowledge or experience to advise you. But I will say that broad diversification among industries and asset classes (including cash or cash equivalents) is something to explore.

-- Puddintame (achillesg@hotmail.com), July 29, 1999.

Don't ya think that a commodity selling at its lowest price (factoring in inflation) in the history of the world, warrant a little more then a 10% investment? I do. How can you go wrong unless they start giving it away in Happy Meals? I have over $80,000.00 invested in one form or another in silver and gold.

-- itsinthecards (silverandgold@getsmart.com), July 29, 1999.