The January Effect:

Is the influence on the market of the mutual funds’ performance reported in December.
Is another name for the Superbowl anomaly believed to affect stock prices.
Is the result of several studies regarding inexplicably higher returns during January.
Supports the predictabilityof cyclical prices determined by chaos theory.
(Portfolio Construction, Management and Protection by Robert A. Strong, p. 182.)

Investments in CDs:

Are riskier than investments in stocks.
Are inferior to investments in 8-tracks and vinyl records.
Are always tax deferred.
Are insured by the FDIC, but have generally underperformed stock investments over the long run.

Gold may be a good investment if:

Inflation is expected to increase.
You like the color.
World peace comes to pass.
Foreign governments sell their gold reserves.

Credit cards:

Are a cost effective way of financing investment purchases.
Have interest payments that are not tax deductible.
Typically have lower interest rates than home equity loans.
Often have 3 month grace periods on new purchases.

Long-term care insurance:

Is only for the very elderly.
Can help protect assets from the cost of a nursing home stay.
Is not necessary since Medicare always covers long-term care.
Is always available regardless of your past health history.

Determining total return typically utilizes the:

Inflation-adjusted annual performance of all mutual-funds.
Annual capital gain plus dividend payout of a stock or fund.
Math skills learned in college-level calculus courses.
Dividend yield on the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

The P/E ratio:

Is the same for all firms in a given industry.
Does not change over time.
Is typically higher for firms whose earnings are expected to grow rapidly.
Is the same as the dividend yield.

The astute investor is aware that:

Investment risk is limited to the fortunes of the specific security purchased.
Computers make investment decisions scientific and eliminate much of the risk.
Actual outcome of any investment may differ from the expected outcome.
When trading on-line, brokerage commissions are always negotiable.