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Strategies & Market Trends : 2026 TeoTwawKi ... 2032 Darkest Interregnum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Rolla Coasta who wrote (31112)	3/17/2008 2:25:47 AM
From: Elroy Jetson	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 217567

Of course Buffett or Gates are not much concerned. Deflation kills those with debt and those with no cash. Let's look at Buffett (I suspect Gate's is in the same position, as Microsoft has no debt). Warren Buffett's wealth is more than 1/3 of Berkshire Hathaway. Berkshire essentially has no debt and $43 billion in cash they would like to use to make one "huge investment". So they have a lot of cash to fall back on to keep paying bills. During another Depression, there is no possibility of Berkshire failing. During a Depression Berkshire's stock price will likely fall to a p/e ratio of 6x to 8x down from the current 15x, and their earnings will decline some. I could see Buffett's wealth temporarily falling from $45 billion to $4.5 billion at worst. Big deal. .

To: Rolla Coasta who wrote (31112)	3/17/2008 2:26:01 AM
From: Elroy Jetson	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 217567

My partner and I have no debt and a lot of cash. If interest rates fall to zero, so obviously there would be no inflation, we have enough cash to live on for our lives. It's a good feeling. Of course we could always live better, so I hope for some gains. My Grandfather began buying stocks in the 1930s, which was certainly better than investing prior to 1929. He was able to make big gains during the Depression. My Grandparents bought a home for $550 cash, which had previously sold in 1926 for $6,500. As crazy as it sounds, after going through Med School during the Depression, My Grandfather borrowed against his home and used to proceeds to buy stock in the Ritter Medical Supply company which the salesman assured him would soon increase their dividend - and they did. The resulting rise in the stock price gave him enough to outfit his new medical office, repay the home loan and have money to continue to invest in the stock market. So by avoiding the decline, opportunities still exist. I heard plenty of stories about Los Angeles during the Great Depression while I was growing up. My Grandmother always told me that Los Angeles still had great weather during the Depression. On the other hand my parents are real estate developers building and owning shopping centers with lots of debt, so they will likely be looking for me to provide them with a monthly allowance. .