Missy, please just click the submit once and then watch the little green tracking rectangle at the very bottom right of your screen. That will post your remarks just once. Mazel tov.

Gloria- My mother and Dad are your ages, my mother and I love to talk about investments. In 2001 when gold was under $300 I told her to buy, it now it’s over $900. But today I share your view, too high and seems unstable, wonder if all the upside is gone? I highly recommend you get “Conquer the Crash” Robert Pritcher….see my post a few pages up for a review. It’s very readable. Perhaps they have it on tape so you and your husband can listen to it together. He created the Elliot Wave that predicted the 1987 mini stock market crash and says our fundamentals are now worse. Also I have a link posted there to the Davos 2008 conference economic forecast. Here is an excellent Bloomberg tape with Robert Pretchner. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjS60TaD_J8 You and your husband have done all the right things. So to further protect your investments I’d look at these things in addition to meeting with your financial advisor, and consider a solid managed currency fund like Vanguard that is weighted in Asian currencies and the Euro. All best.

Ann- Smart of you to eliminate QVC—you don’t need more stuff but a plan! Since you’re retired and sound active, consider maybe doing some personal assistant work to the elderly who are still in their homes but need help with meals, rides to the doctors, etc. You could post a services offered ad on Craigslist in your area. http://longisland.craigslist.org/ Or think of how your skills meet market needs right now and post an ad under the appropriate section on Craigslist. Be sure to check things out carefully. Here in San Francisco anyway (and with the denser population) Craigslist is a tremendous resource. You could also make and print off a clever flyer and post them at retirement homes, grocery store bulletin boards, hospitals. You’d be an entrepreneur, probably meet lots of new people, and only need one or a couple clients to add nicely to your SS. You might also check out “work from home” type magazines at the library or bookstore for ideas. Good Luck.

We need an energy policy- more nuclear power to free us from oil and it is clean for the environment as well. We will need to demand good regulation from our government and ethical contractors.