If you have as many things to do today as I do, you’ll understand and appreciate this brief multi-topic post.

On 30 big stocks: The Dow is within reach of 14,000 points. A story in today’s Wall Street Journal used a phrase that caught my eye to describe the market’s recent highs: climbing on a “wall of worry.” Do you think the market is poised for a correction? If so, doing anything about it or staying the course?

On banking: The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency now has a consumer banking advice portal: www.helpwithmybank.gov, which addresses everything from how to fix errors on credit reports to banking fees and interest rates.

On mortgages: A Harris Interactive poll found two-thirds of Americans surveyed find mortgage advertising and marketing non-credible. You mean, if it sounds too good to be true it usually is?
Of the 2,383 adults surveyed, here’s what type of mortgage they owned:

No mortgage: 54%

Fixed rate: 33%

Home equity loan: 16%

ARM: 7%

interest only: 5%

No $ down: 4%

Balloon 2%

Reverse 2%

On bonds: I wrote last week’s column on the role bonds should play in a young person’s portfolio. A reader named David emailed me these interesting thoughts:

I consider my home equity to be a bond - with the dividend being what [Wall Street Journal columnist] Jonathan Clements describes as the tax-free enjoyment of living in my home. Similar to a bond, there is a downside and the upside is limited to 3-5% per year appreciation.

In addition, I would also consider Pensions to be similar to a bond as well. In particular, defined-contribution pensions (I get 5% of my gross dumped into a bond fund that pays 3-5%) are almost always invested in bond funds.

Do you own any “bonds” not bonds?

This entry was posted on Monday, July 16th, 2007 at 12:03 pm and is filed under housing, investing, research, stock market. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.