With billionaire investor George Soros and former federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker saying the global financial meltdown is worse than the Great Depression, it might be time to look at Dent's book.
Dent, an economist and professional forecaster says we ain't seen nothing yet.
He says 2010 to 2012 will bring on the worst economic and banking crisis since the 1930s. Real estate will also collapse. He predicts there may well be a recovery in the second half of 2009, but that will fall apart because of inflationary pressures, interest rates and a commodity bubble. That's when the worst of the Depression will hit, continuing on and off until mid to late 2012. Where would be a safe place for money? Dent says cash, money markets and, on a lag, the highest quality government and corporate bonds. There will be a rally, probably from mid 2012 to mid 2017 and then a less severe downturn until about 2020, or possibly 2023.
and worse still. he warns of the next dramatic terrorist attack or seismic geopolitical event between late 2009 and mid-2010, perhaps brought on by oil prices which he warns are likely to go to $180+ if there is a significant recovery in 2009 coming from all the stimulus packages being introduced around the world. The next boom will happen from 2023 to 2036, if we live that long.
Most economists think everything will be rosy in the future. No wonder every federal budget assumes significant economic improvemnt in the further out years. Harry Dent does not get caught up in this paradigm. It’s refreshing to know that someone out there is looking beyond the sugar high of government stimulus. Whether he is right or not, who knows? But I’d put my money on him over all of those simpleton thinkers who talk so arrogantly and so confidently about their petty opinions.