Falling dollar top concern among investors, Weiss survey finds

JUPITER — Forget recession or a stock market crash. The No. 1 worry among U.S. investors is the falling dollar, according to a survey by Weiss Research's MoneyandMarkets.com. Among the 2,325 investors responding to the poll, 43 percent ranked the dollar decline as their single most serious concern.

The fear of a recession or depression was a distant second, cited as a primary concern by only 20.8 percent of the respondents. Ranking third and fourth were terrorist threats, wars or future geopolitical crises (10.5 percent) and inflation (10.2 percent).

The following is a summary of all responses received:

— The declining dollar, 43.1 percent.

— A recession or depression, 20.8 percent.

— Terrorist threats, wars or future geopolitical crises, 10.4 percent.

— Inflation, 10 percent.

 — The mortgage and housing crisis, 8.1 percent.

 — A stock market crash or bear market, 7.6 percent.

"The dollar has been declining steadily against most major currencies for over five years, with the Dollar Index recently falling to its lowest level of all time," said Martin D. Weiss, president of Weiss Research.

"So it should come as no surprise that investors are worried about it. Many appear to recognize the long-term consequences of a falling dollar on stocks, bonds, and real estate as well as the economic impact on our country as a whole."

Weiss recommends investors consider strong foreign currencies, natural resources and other assets that go up when the dollar
falls. "Years ago," Weiss said, "it was difficult for average investors to buy foreign currencies or natural resources. Now, however, they are readily available through exchange-traded funds and other easy-to-trade instruments."