US Investment Options

Families need to invest in assets that increase in value over time and spend less on other things. Investing in a single family home and paying it off in 15 years is the best investment a family can make. When the mortgage is paid, families finally have low cost housing and can use their money to improve and maintain their homes. The other good investment includes a 401k Plan that is invested in stocks.

Investments in stocks was limited to a smaller number of investors from the 1900s to the 1980s.

The DOW average range between 1900 and 1919 was 49.11 to 99.05. In 1920, more middle class families bought stocks and the DOW average range between 1920 and 1930 was 71.95 to 307.01.  In the 1930s, the DOW range was 41.23 to 244.20. In the 1940s, the DOW stabilized with a range between 112.77 and 200.52.

During the 1950s, the US economy surged because the US infrastructure had escaped the damage of wars and the DOW range had lifted to 239.92 to 679.36 In the 1960s, US prosperity continued to expand with the DOW range between 615.89 and 969.26.

Inflation had ravaged the US dollar from 1913 to 1969. The cost of a loaf of bread rose from 2 cents a loaf to 50 cents a loaf.  New Car Prices went from $500 to $3000.  Housing Prices rose from $5000 to $30,000. But Wages had increased to match these living cost increases. Inflation in the 1960s averaged 7% per year.

US inflation continued from 1970 to 2018. The cost of a loaf of bread is now $2 - $4. New Car Prices are in the $13,000 to $30,000 range. Housing Prices are in the $200,000 to $300,000 range.  A good household income in 1970 was $20,000 per year, now it’s $100,000 per year.

The 1970s was a transition to higher inflation. The DOW range was 632.04 to 1031.68 in the 1970s.

401k Plans were introduced in 1978 to make investments in stocks easier for middle class wage earners. The 401k plans allowed all wage earners the opportunity to add savings to their retirement and this resulted in a massive expansion of the DOW range.

The Dow Jones Average on 12/31/79 was 838.74. On 12/31/80 it was 963.99. By 12/31/83 it was 1,258.64.

By 12/30/88 it was 2,168.57. 

The DOW under Reagan had increased by 250% from 1979 to 1988. Reagan had cut taxes and regulations and caused an economic resurgence in the US led by the US electronics industries. Reagan ended the Cold War and the US was set to concentrate on the economy.

In the 1990s, the economy continued to expand. By 12/31/99, the DOW was 11,497.12.

In the 2000s, US jobs were off-shored and US household incomes were lower due to the loss of middle class jobs.

The DOW averages from 1990 to 2018 show the results of the 401k Plans with millions of additional investors in the stock market. The stock market took a 700 point hit in 2000 and a 2000 point hit with the recession in 2002 and a 4500 point hit with the Mortgage Meltdown in 2008.

The DOW closed at 2,633.66 on 12/31/90

The DOW closed at 3,168.33 on 12/31/91

The DOW closed at 3,301.11 on 12/31/92

The DOW closed at 3,754.09 on 12/31/93

The DOW closed at 3,834.44 on 12/30/94

The DOW closed at 5,117.12 on 12/31/95

The DOW closed at 6,448.27 on 12/31/96

The DOW closed at 7,908.25 on 12/31/97

The DOW closed at 9,181.43 on 12/31/98

The DOW closed at 11,497.12 on 12/31/99

The DOW closed at 10,787.99 on 12/29/00

The DOW closed at 10,021.57 on 12/31/01

The DOW closed at 8341.63 on 12/31/02

The DOW closed at 10,453.92 on 12/31/03

The DOW closed at 10,783.01 on 12/31/04

The DOW closed at 10,717.50 on 12/30/05

The DOW closed at 12,463.15 on 12/31/06

The DOW closed at 13,264.82 on 12/31/07

The DOW closed at 8,776.39 on 12/31/08

The DOW closed at 10,428.05 on 12/31/09

The DOW closed at 11,577.31 on 12/31/10

The DOW closed at 12,217.56 on 12/30/11

The DOW closed at 13,104.14 on 12/31/12

The DOW closed at 16,576.66 on 12/31/13

The DOW closed at 17,823.07 on 12/31/14

The DOW closed at 17,425.03 on 12/31/15

The DOW closed at 19,762.60 on 12/30/16.

The DOW closed at 24,719.22 on 12/29/17

The DOW closed at 25,313.14 on 8/10/18.

http://www.fedprimerate.com/dow-jones-industrial-average-history-djia.htm

US fixed rate investments were decent from the 1950s through the 1960s, but interest rates were generally low in the 4% range.  The government spending triggered by the Vietnam War and Lyndon Johnson’s Poverty Program resulted in massive federal debt that turned into inflation in the 1970s through 1990s that was generally high in the 7% to 13% range. Borrowing costs soared, but fixed rate investments in mortgage lending also soared to the 10% range.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader