As stock markets everywhere continue their slide, global equities have in effect now shed all of the gains they had notched up between the Asian economic crisis of 1997-98 and the onset of the credit crisis in 2007.
But that seemingly remorseless retreat - which apart from anything else has pushed pension funds seriously into deficit - is only one part of a litany of investor woe. Consider also these other aspects of what is happening in the investment world:
