The Safe Side of Your Nest Egg is at Risk. Bonds are illiquid and losing money. What does that mean? It means that there are a lot fewer buyers than there are sellers. If you want or need to sell your bonds, odds are extremely high that you’ll have to take a haircut, i.e. receive less money than you paid for it. You might think, “Well, I’ll just hold on then.” However, the longer you hold on, the less valuable a negative-yielding, illiquid investment becomes. Additionally, you’re not getting paid for the risk that you will lose money on the investment itself. So now, while many investors are feeling more complacent and are less aware of the risk in bonds, could be a window of opportunity to secure the safe side of your nest egg from capital losses. Check out the liquidity chart below. Both bonds and the Dow Jones industrial Average were illiquid even last year – before the pandemic. Why is there such a problem with bonds these days? Because too many slow-growth, debt-laden companies were borrowing more and more money at very low interest, and using the proceeds to repurchase their own stock and pay high dividends. Meanwhile, many of these companies neglected to pay down debt, save for a rainy day, or invest in R&D and their team. Boeing is the poster child of this scenario, with corporate buybacks of $9.3 billion in 2018, while $20.3 billion of their pensions and Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEBs) were underfunded. After a few of their planes had epic failures, the 737 Max was grounded, and then the pandemic hit. Boeing’s credit is at the lowest rung of investment grade, with a negative outlook from S&P Global Ratings. Financial Challenges Remain Heightened for Vulnerable Companies The pandemic sparked a financial crisis in March of this year – before the first stay-at-home order was issued in the U.S., as a result of having too many companies carrying too much debt. On November 5, 2020, the Federal Reserve Board released a press release, writing, “The ongoing public health crisis will continue to weigh on economic activity, employment, and inflation in the near term, and poses considerable risks to the economic outlook over the medium term.” Bonds Normally Earn Gains in Recessions Bonds earned gains in the last two recessions. However, in 2020, bonds are losing money. In the Dot Com Recession, the Federal Reserve was able to start their interest rate cuts from 6.5%. As the Feds cut rates, bond investors became very interested in the bonds that were paying a higher premium. If you wanted to sell your bond, you could sell it for up to 25% more than you paid for it. The same was true in the Great Recession, when the Feds started their rate cuts from 4.75%. Today, with interest rates at zero, there are few buyers willing to take on the risk of holding bonds in an over-leveraged world, which is why bonds are illiquid and negative-yielding (losing money). Over 50% of the S&P500 is At or Near Junk Bond Status Over half of the S&P500 companies are at or near junk bond status. When a company gets downgraded, their bonds become even more illiquid. The gap down can occur overnight. (You didn’t receive advance notice before Ford Motor Company was downgraded to junk. However, if you knew where to look for the corporate debt and liabilities, the event was easy to foretell.) There are currently 111 companies on the S&P Global Potential Fallen Angel List. These are companies that are at risk of being downgraded to junk bond status in the near term. As you can see in the chart above, financial institutions are at most risk of being downgraded. There are over 20 at BBB- financial services companies with a negative outlook, including Discover, Ally Financial, Bank of Ireland (Ireland), Cit Bank, Synchrony Financial, Virgin Money (U.K.) and more. The 2nd most vulnerable industry is media and entertainment (including casinos and hotels). Many companies in this sector have already been downgraded, including Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean. Other companies at risk of a downgrade to speculative status include Expedia, Hyatt Hotels, InterContinental Hotels and Marriott. Las Vegas Sands is on CreditWatch Negative (along with four other companies), meaning the company has only 90 days or less to overcome their current challenges before potentially being downgraded to speculative status. The remaining 106 companies on the list have anywhere from six to 24 months to make things right. What’s Safe in Today’s Recession? Getting safe in 2020 is so tricky that I spend one full day on this topic at my retreat. There is an entire section discussing this in The ABCs of Money. Getting safe is a two-step process. The first step is keeping your money, perhaps in FDIC-insured cash. The 2nd step is to invest in safe, income-producing hard assets that you purchase for a good price. You’ll have to consider what can safely produce an income in a world where 52% of young adults between 18 and 29 are living with a parent, and unemployment is so high. Clearly there is a lot to consider and learn. However, the price of not getting this right can be devastating. The reason most people don't buy low is that they can't buy low. When you don't have liquidity and you've lost too much money, all you can do is hope and pray to recover from your losses. If you keep enough safe and liquid, then you may find opportunities in bonds in a few years, when the risk is lower and the reward is more attractive. Getting Safe is Not Market Timing Keeping a percentage equal to your age safe and overweighting safe in a recession is not market timing. You always want to have an appropriate amount at risk that is properly diversified and rebalanced one to three times a year. Jumping all in or all out of stocks and bonds is a losing strategy. You want to put your emotions aside, and rely upon wisdom and a time-proven strategy for your long-run game plan. This diversified, rebalanced plan is easy-as-a-pie-chart and earned gains in the last two recessions, while outperforming the bull markets in between. You can read about this recession-proof, wealth-preservation strategy in The ABCs of Money 4th edition. You can learn and implement this strategy by attending the Jan. 16-18, 2021 Retreat. If you’d like to protect your wealth now, then call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to receive an unbiased 2nd opinion on your current plan, alongside a blueprint for proper diversification and protection. Buy & Hope is a last-century strategy that has lost more than half in the last two recessions. We now live in a world where economic expansions end with “episodes of financial instability” (Jerome Powell’s words), which is why 21st Century recessions look more like depressions. Hopefully we’ll break free of fueling economic expansions with low interest rates in the coming decades. Low interest rates create asset bubbles. When asset bubbles pop, the drop is more rapid and severe. Between February 19, 2020 and March 23, 2020, the U.S. stock market saw the most rapid shift from a bull to bear market in history. If you wait for the headlines, it’s too late to protect yourself. A better idea is to fix the roof now, while the sun is still shining – before winter sets in. The last two recessions cost most Americans more than half of their wealth. Millions of homes were foreclosed on, short sold, went to auction or became bank-owned. There are still 3.5 million homeowners who are severely underwater on their mortgage. The current rally in stocks and real estate affords all of us a 2nd chance to get a better plan. I encourage you to take this information and data seriously, and do as much as you can to batten down the hatches on your financial future before the economic storms on the horizon make landfall. Register for the Jan. 16-18, 2021 New Year, New You Retreat by Nov. 30, 2020 to receive the best price. Learn more in the retreat flyer. (Click to access). Other Blogs of Interest Annual Rebalancing is a Buy Low, Sell High Plan on Auto-Pilot. 5 Red Flags of a Financial Implosion Will Regeneron Be Approved Before the Election? Tesla Will Have an Outstanding Earnings Report Should You Wait Until After the Election to Fix Your Wealth Plan? The October Surprise Is Your Bank a Junk Bond Do Stocks Fare Better Under Democrats or Republicans? Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is. Crystal Ball for the Remainder of 2020 (Including the Election). Microcap Gaming Company Doubles 2Q 2020 Revenue. Apple & Tesla Stock Splits. Schwab's Chief Fixed Income Strategist on What's Safe. China's Tesla (Nio). 2Q Sales Soar. Why Are You Still Renting? (Errr. There is More Than This to Consider!) MedMen's Turnaround Plan Attracts A-List Board Members. Wealth Myths That Keep You Poor. Prosperity Truths That Make You Rich. Protecting Your Wealth and Home in a Recession. Technology and Silver are Golden. The Economy Contracts 32.9% in the 2nd Quarter of 2020. Real Estate: Feeling Equity Rich? Make Sure That Feeling Isn't Fleeting. Airline Revenue Plunges 86%. 10 Questions for College Success Bank Earnings Season. Crimes. Cronyism. Speculation. Real Estate Solutions for a Post-Pandemic World. Copper and Chile Update. Gold Soars. Some Gold Funds Tank. Will the Facebook Ad Boycott De-FANG Stocks? Why Did My Cannabis Stock Go Down? Which Countries Are Hot in a Global Pandemic? Is Your Financial Advisor Good at Navigating Stormy Seas? $10 Avocados, Lies, Damn Lies, Statistics & Wall Street Secrets. It's Never a Crash. Work From Home and Intergenerational Housing. Biotech Races for a Coronavirus Cure. Are You Worried About Money? May is a Good Time for Rebalancing. Is FDIC-Insured Cash at Risk of a Bank Bail-in Plan? Why Did my Bonds Lose Money? Cannabis Update. Recession Proof Your Life. Free Videocon Monday, May 10, 2020. The Recession will be Announced on July 30, 2020. Apple Reports Terrible Earnings. We Are in a Recession. Unemployment, Rising Stocks. What's Going On? 8 Money Myths, Money Pits, Scams and Conspiracy Theories. 21st Century Solutions for Protecting Your Home, Nest Egg & Job. Wall Street Insiders are Selling Like There is No Tomorrow. Why Are My Bonds Losing Money? Tomorrow is Going to be Another Tough Day. Price Matters. Stock Prices are Still Too High. Should You Ride Things Out? 7 Recession Indicators Corona Virus Update. The Bank Bail-in Plan on Your Dime. NASDAQ is Up 6X. CoronaVirus: Which Companies and Countries Will be Most Impacted. Is Tesla Worth GM and Ford Combined. Artificial Intelligence is on Fire. Is it Time to Buy S'More? Take the Retirement Challenge. 2020 Investor IQ Test. Answers to the 2020 Investor IQ Test. The Cannabis Capital Crunch and Stock Meltdown. Does Your Commute Pollute More Than Planes? Are Health Care Costs Killing Your Budget? 2020 Crystal Ball. The Benefits of Living Green. Featuring H.R.H. The Prince of Wales' Twin Eco Communities. What Love, Time and Charity Have to do with our Commonwealth. Interview with MacArthur Genius Award Winner Kevin Murphy. Unicorns Yesterday. Fairy Tales Today. IPO Losses Top $100 Billion. Price Matters. Will There be a Santa Rally? It's Up to Apple. Harness Your Emotions for Successful Investing. What the Ford Downgrade Means for Main Street. The Dow Dropped Over 1000 Points Do We Talk Ourselves into Recessions? Interview with Nobel Prize Winning Economist Robert J. Shiller. Ford is Downgraded to Junk. Gold Mining ETFs Have Doubled. The Gold Bull Market Has Begun. The We Work IPO. The Highs and Hangovers of Investing in Cannabis. Recession Proof Your Life. What's Your Exit Strategy? It's Time To Do Your Annual Rebalancing. Are You Suffering From Buy High, Sell Low Mentality? Financial Engineering is Not Real Growth. The Zoom IPO. Uber vs. Lyft. Which IPO Will Drive Returns? Boeing Cuts 737 Production by 20%. The Lyft IPO Hits Wall Street. Should you tak Cannabis Doubles. Did you miss the party? 12 Investing Mistakes The High Cost of Free Advice. 2018 Was the Worst December Since the Great Depression. Russia Dumps Treasuries and Buys Gold OPEC and Russia Cut Oil Production. Important Disclaimers Please note: Natalie Pace does not act or operate like a broker. She reports on financial news, and is one of the most trusted sources of financial literacy, education and forensic analysis in the world. Natalie Pace educates and informs individual investors to give investors a competitive edge in their personal decision-making. Any publicly traded companies or funds mentioned by Natalie Pace are not intended to be buy or sell recommendations. ALWAYS do your research and consult an experienced, reputable financial professional before buying or selling any security, and consider your long-term goals and strategies. Investors should NOT be all in on any asset class or individual stocks. Your retirement plan should reflect a diversified strategy, which has been designed with the assistance of a financial professional who is familiar with your goals, risk tolerance, tax needs and more. The "trading" portion of your portfolio should be a very small part of your investment strategy, and the amount of money you invest into individual companies should never be greater than your experience, wisdom, knowledge and patience. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, NataliePace.com does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Opinions constitute our judgment as of the date of this publication and are subject to change without notice. This material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. Securities, financial instruments or strategies mentioned herein may not be suitable for all investors. ![]() About Natalie Pace Natalie Wynne Pace is an Advocate for Sustainability, Financial Literacy & Women's Empowerment. She has been ranked as a No. 1 stock picker, above over 835 A-list pundits, by an independent tracking agency (TipsTraders). The ABCs of Money remained at or near the #1 Investing Basics e-book on Amazon for over 3 years (in its vertical), with over 120,000 downloads and a mean 5-star ranking. The 4th edition of The ABCs of Money was released on October 17, 2020. Natalie Pace's easy as a pie chart nest egg strategies earned gains in the last two recessions and have outperformed the bull markets in between. That is why her Investor Educational Retreats, books and private coaching are enthusiastically recommended by Nobel Prize winning economist Gary S. Becker, TD AMERITRADE chairman Joe Moglia, Kay Koplovitz and many Main Street investors who have transformed their lives using her Thrive Budget and investing strategies. Click to view a video testimonial from Nilo Bolden. Comments are closed.
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AuthorNatalie Pace is the co-creator of the Earth Gratitude Project and the author of The Power of 8 Billion: It's Up to Us, The ABCs of Money, The ABCs of Money for College, The Gratitude Game and Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is. She is a repeat guest & speaker on national news shows and stages. She has been ranked the No. 1 stock picker, above over 830 A-list pundits, by an independent tracking agency, and has been saving homes and nest eggs since 1999. Archives
January 2025
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