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Inflation: A Portfolio Risk That Never Dies

The threat of inflation is nothing like the double-digit affair of the 1970s, but it's still there. Dormant for years, inflation may seem irrelevant, but it remains a risk. Here's a short lesson for managing this risk.

In the 48 years after it raged in 1970, inflation was a tale of two times, distinctly different but equal in length. The first 24 years was a high-inflation period and low inflation marked the last 24 years.

The median Consumer Price Index, a widely-watched inflation barometer, was 3.8% for the 48-year span. However, the CPI topped 3.8% just once in the past 24 years, while hitting 3.8% or higher in 18 of the previous 24 years.

The table below shows the average yearly returns for seven distinct types of investments over the two 24-year periods. Some important observations: