I’m actually OK with this one. If the taxpayers are going to be on the hook for the losses, they should get a crack at the upside, too (hopefully there will be an upside).
And if that opportunity comes in the form of retail funds created by quality organizations like the Pimco‘s and the BlackRock‘s…so be it.
From the New York Times:
The Obama administration is encouraging several large investment companies to create the financial-crisis equivalent of war bonds: bailout funds. These investments, akin to mutual funds that buy stocks and bonds, would give ordinary Americans a chance to profit from the bailouts that are being financed by their tax dollars.
This is cool, let everyone who is suitable and wants to back the US plan have an entry point for investment. Because if the rescue is successful, but only the oligarchs and billionaires benefit, then you’ve added an insult to the already-injured citizens.
Just keep Merrill Lynch out of the mix. They are the Washington Generals of financial products.
And for Crom‘s sake, no levered ETFs either…the last thing we need is an Ultra Long Toxic Assets or a 3X Sub Prime Fund.
Now will I be recommending these to retail clients? Oh boy, that’s a whole ‘nother story! Let’s get a look at that fine print first.
Full Disclosure: My commentary here is not an endorsement of any particular fund family or investment methodology. Please visit my terms & conditions page for a full disclaimer.
Mutual Fund Disclaimer:
Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. The indicated rates of return are the historical annual compounded total returns including changes in unit value and reinvestment of all distributions and does not take into account sales, redemption distribution or optional charges or income taxes payable by any security holder that would have reduced returns. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance. may not be repeated.
I’m a New York City-based financial advisor at Ritholtz Wealth Management LLC. I help people invest and manage portfolios for them. For disclosure information please see here.
Get a Full Investor Curriculum: Join The Book List
Every month you'll receive 3-4 book suggestions--chosen by hand from more than 1,000 books. You'll also receive an extensive curriculum (books, articles, papers, videos) in PDF form right away.
… [Trackback]
[…] There you can find 72248 additional Info to that Topic: thereformedbroker.com/2009/04/10/creating-a-bailout-army-of-retail-investors/ […]