2008 Returns on Selected Assets

by Doug on Dec.20, 2008, under Indexes

Returns are before taxes.

Stock Symbol	%Total Return	%Yield	Description
TLT	33.8	4.07	Long Term Treasury Bonds
MBB	7.75		Mortgage backed securities
VBMFX	5.05	4.25	U.S. taxable bond index
	4.8	4.8	Stable Value Index
	4.79	4.79	I Bonds
	3.9	3.9	1 yr CD certificate of deposit
GLD	2.99	0	Gold Bullion
SHV	2.8	0.31	Short term Treasury Bonds
VMMXX	2.8	2.29	Money market mutual funds
	2.44	2.12	Money market account
	0.70	0.46	Passbook rate APY
TIP	-2.5	9.67	Treasury Inflation Note index
VWINX	-9.8	5.78	40% stocks 60% bonds
FFRHX	-16.5	6.00	Bank loan fund
VBINX	-22	3.5	60% stocks 40% bonds
PFF	-24	17.81	Preferred stock index
JNK	-30	14.38	High Yield bond index
BSR	-32.5	9.76	MLP Index
VTI	-36.8	2.99	Total U.S. Stock Market index
VNQ	-37	10.27	REIT Index
SPY	-37.5	3.19	S&P 500 index

The long term treasury interest rate dropped about 2% in 2008 which is why the total return was so remarkable.

7 day or 30 day SEC yield is used when possible.

Notes

APY = annual percentage yield

VBMFX – proxy for Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index. The broadest measure of the taxable U.S. bond market, including most Treasury, agency, corporate, mortgage-backed, asset-backed, and international dollar-denominated issues, all with investment-grade ratings (rated Baa3 or above by Moody’s) and maturities of 1 year or more.

Stable Value Index – Heuler Stable Value Pooled Index. The average of top quality stable value trusts.