Miscellaneous Statistics

Since 1946, there have been 11 bear markets for the S&P 500; these market drops of at least 20% occur at an average of one out of every six years.

 

Total foreign spending by the U.S. ($37 billion) represents < 1% of its $3.8 trillion budget (source: Office of Management and Budget).

 

The country’s largest public pension fund (California Public Employees’ Retirement System) reduced its target rate return from 7.75% to 7.50% in March 2012. The average licensed driver logs in 12,700 miles per year. This translates into 18 hours and 31 minutes spent during the week behind the wheel of a car.

 

For the 12 months ending March 31, 2011, 73,000 reverse mortgages were completed in the U.S. From 2005 to 2009, the use of federally insured reverse mortgages increased 170% (source: SmartMoney magazine, November 2010).