To the Editor:
U.S. investors flocked to China and to a lesser extent Russia, and we have seen how that turned out (“Inside Saudi Arabia’s $3 Trillion Plan to Move Past Oil,” Dec. 28). Now they are fleeing those countries for yet another dictatorship full of “promise”? When will Americans figure out that the short-term gains of funding countries that oppose democracy, the rule of law, and human rights are far outweighed by the threats to our democracy.
Michael Fitzsimmons
On Barrons.com
Choppy Distributions
To the Editor:
If you’re a retiree living off the current income of your investments, then scrutinize the payout histories of some of these funds, like the Nuveen AMT-Free Quality Municipal Income, that have been choppy with their distributions over the years (“Here Are Barron’s 12 Best Income Investments for the New Year,” Dec. 29). If you’re on a 10- to 30-year glide path, think about preserving the purchasing power of those distributions in the out years. Fixed-income and near-fixed-income-based funds can’t do that for you. Only equities and equity-based funds can keep you up with inflation.
Beth Pollock
On Barrons.com
Reversion to the Mean
To the Editor:
I suspect that Steven M. Sears’ insightful article will prove prescient in 2024 (“What Went Right for Investors in 2023 Can Go Wrong in 2024,” Striking Price, Dec. 27). A single year’s 24% return on the S&P 500 index could certainly lead to speculation in the market rather than thoughtful recognition that the long record of about 9% historical returns is the more realistic measure over the course of any considerable period of time. Putting aside geopolitics, dysfunctional domestic politics, wars or rumors of war, terrorism, and responsible monetary policy coupled with irresponsible fiscal policy, reversion to the mean seems to be the immutable rule. This latest rally seems to be a good opportunity to monetize some of those unrealized gains and thereby “own” those paper profits rather than “rent” them.
Timothy Cribbin
St. Louis
New Year’s Resolution
To the Editor:
It’s that time of year when we typically look forward to making predictions while also chronicling how inaccurate last year’s predictions were. As time, rather than money, is our most precious finite resource, it seems that reviewing the past and predicting the future are not the most productive ways to expend our diminishing time.
This supports those who recommend that we preferentially focus on today, which shouldn’t entail prognostications, and look for ways to enrich our current life experiences. That is my New Year’s resolution.
Dr. Douglas Propp
Naples, Fla.
Send letters to: mail@barrons.com. To be considered for publication, correspondence must bear the writer’s name, address, and phone number. Letters are subject to editing.
Read the full article here
