According to Jeff Hirsch, whose father, Yale Hirsch, invented the barometer in 1972, the positive correlation between performance for January and the whole year has failed only seven times, including in 2009 and 2010.

FORBES: Goodbye January Effect and Other Superstitions

According to data collected by Jeff Hirsch, editor of Stock Trader's Almanac Investor and son of founder Yale Hirsch, the third year of a president's term, going back to 1832 and President Andrew Jackson, has been far and away the most rewarding for stock investors.

FORBES: Will Bush Break An 88-Year Bullish Tradition?