Is It Different This Time? Part 1

“We cannot assume that even if the economic news gets worse that prices will decline further. It’s quite possible that prices are already reflecting investor concerns of more trouble ahead and may rise despite more gloomy business reports in days and months to come.” – Weston J. Wellington.

Scary Headlines

Lately, it seems that all we have been reading and hearing about are falling real estate values, failing national banks, global brokerage firms in dire straits, and stock prices plummeting in markets all over the world. This is no fun, no fun at all. Surely, we are in big trouble. You may believe that our current financial problems are “unprecedented.” For a different view, though, read on.

Needed Perspective

Dimensional Funds Advisors Vice President, Weston J. Wellington, offers perspective on how the current market downturn compares to past bear markets. His short, 17-minute presentation Is It Different This Time?  shows how resilient markets have really been.

Video highlights include brief discussions of past articles from Time, Newsweek, Fortune, and Business Week, which shows how past crises and bear markets were covered. What is surprising is how often the word “unprecedented” gets used.

photo credit: sorian