Success stories are regular features of our Motley Fool Rule Your Retirement newsletter service, where we share profiles of people who have become financially independent. One of the most remarkable stories we've come across is that of Billy and Akaisha Kaderli. At age 38, they left their fast-track lives and started traveling the world. We caught up with them in Oaxaca, Mexico. Here, Billy discusses attractive values in the market.
Another week, another 5% market loss. And we thought Halloween was over. With the S&P now down 45% from its highs, and with the record volatility, we feel like a piece of taffy being stretched to its limit. Then we take a walk or play tennis, and our heads clear from all of the media hype and gloom.
Back in 1979, Lee Iaccoca, then the president of Chrysler, stood on the steps of the Capitol building and had a news conference after receiving loan guarantees from Congress. Chrysler's stock traded at around $3 per share on that day. Opportunity? Who knew at the time? And since then, investors could have raked in substantial profits.
Now the stocks of Ford (NYSE:F) and General Motors (NYSE:GM) have tanked, and once again it looks as though the government may step in to assist.
When we see companies that have been around for more than 100 years with big dividend yields -- such as General Electric (NYSE:GE), with a 7.7% yield, or Pfizer (NYSE:PFE), with its 7.9% -- we see opportunities. The Dow Jones Select Dividend Index (NYSE:DVY) is trading with a 5.25% yield, and the Vanguard REIT Index ETF (NYSE:VNQ) is yielding more than 7%. We wonder how long these bargains will continue.
Well, for stock investors, the after-Christmas sales are here now. Someone is buying stocks, because for every share sold today, there's a buyer on the other end of the trade. One investor is either being forced out by margin calls or fear, while the other is seeing future gains.
Many observers want you to believe that this is "The Big One" for the market -- that this time, it truly is different. The U.S. will go down along with the equity markets, they say. But for us, it sounds like the same old, same old.
Too many investors wait until the coast is clear to re-enter the markets, and that's why they rarely outperform the S&P 500 index. Now is the time to think for yourself. Take responsibility for your future, and research the investment opportunities.
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