Continue to Invest?

[mhall]

I switched everything over in my 401-k to guaranteed about a year and a half ago. I can't dabble with anything in the stock market for two years after this move the way ours is set up. Like I said that was a year and a half ago and it looks like I made a decent decision. I'm not making a whole lot but I'm not loosing my shirt either. There are fellas over here at work that have lost 10's of thousands. I had to stop the bleeding I couldn't stand it. And with the moron we have in office now it's not gonna get better anytime soon.

[Dave Stewart]

Better put some of that in gold....and better have the gold in your hands. Now if I only had the money to buy some.

[Col Forbin]

GOLD!!! - I wish I had the money to buy some now too - Actually I wish I had some gold to sell some. My wife had some old gold necklaces and bracelets from high school - that looks like they have been run over a few times, and sold them to a gold broker, and got $600 a several months ago - these were close to being thrown away too.

My wife and I have two retirement plans set up. The teacher retirement - a great secure plan, and also have a 401k and 457B. The teacher retirement plan is to live on, and the investment plan is to have fun on - maybe a new boat, and part of a new house. We put $200 in our investment stuff last month and lost over $400. SO it is not looking good now, but I am 18 years away from retirement, and she is 22 years away - so we have some time for it to rebound - hopefully it will.

Dave, can I trade some gold for a trip? LOL!

[DJD]

GOLD!!! - I wish I had the money to buy some now too - Actually I wish I had some gold to sell some. My wife had some old gold necklaces and bracelets from high school - that looks like they have been run over a few times, and sold them to a gold broker, and got $600 a several months ago - these were close to being thrown away too.

My wife and I have two retirement plans set up. The teacher retirement - a great secure plan, and also have a 401k and 457B. The teacher retirement plan is to live on, and the investment plan is to have fun on - maybe a new boat, and part of a new house. We put $200 in our investment stuff last month and lost over $400. SO it is not looking good now, but I am 18 years away from retirement, and she is 22 years away - so we have some time for it to rebound - hopefully it will.

Dave, can I trade some gold for a trip? LOL!

Kevin,
I heard that AIG deals with alot of Educational Retirements? Wonder how true that is or if your has been tied into them? That might not be good news.

[Devils Horse]

Interesting this thread came up when it did. Nice job Don.

Sure I listened to all the experts who always say "Just ride out the bumps in the road of the stock market, and stay with it". Well I stuck it out and stayed diversified. I watched 35% of my 401k's value bleed off till I simply couldn't stand the pressure anymore. Recently moved everything to VERY conservative investments and have 'saved' some serious money just in the last few days. All I can say is I wish to hell I'd been smart as Mark.

Nobody has any advice worth a rip, because nobody's ever seen a situation like this. The market looses 3% of it's value in a single day, AIG gets 30 billion more of our money, and the federal government announces the Palestenians get the better part of another billion. This on the heels of trillions of new federal borrowing and spending.

Never have I seen anything so stupid. Never. Ever. We've all seen governmental stupidity, but it ALL pales in comparison to the first six weeks of this administration.

[DJD]

You know the thing that makes it tough for me is that if I stop the monthly draw I lose the matching funds from the company. Of course I could get it figured to the penny and only draw that amount out to qualify for the match. I guess I have some pondering to do.....

[Devils Horse]

You know the thing that makes it tough for me is that if I stop the monthly draw I lose the matching funds from the company. Of course I could get it figured to the penny and only draw that amount out to qualify for the match. I guess I have some pondering to do.....

Do what I did Don, keep the draw for the match and tax breaks but put it in stable growth funds. I put mine 50/50 in 2 funds that have not made much over the last year, but they haven't lost any either. Soon as I honestly believe the market is turning I'll jump back in, but for now the sucking chest wound needs a field dressing.

[DJD]

Do what I did Don, keep the draw for the match and tax breaks but put it in stable growth funds. I put mine 50/50 in 2 funds that have not made much over the last year, but they haven't lost any either. Soon as I honestly believe the market is turning I'll jump back in, but for now the sucking chest wound needs a field dressing.

I am getting our investment guy to come here and review our plan. Funny how he doesn't come around that much anymore?

[Devils Horse]

I am getting our investment guy to come here and review our plan. Funny how he doesn't come around that much anymore?

Share his advice with us if you don't mind. I don't trust advice that much right now, because nobody's got any experience like this.

I'm going to guess what your guy winds up recommending:

Keep a diverse blend of funds and ride it out.

[DJD]

Share his advice with us if you don't mind. I don't trust advice that much right now, because nobody's got any experience like this.

I'm going to guess what your guy winds up recommending:

Keep a diverse blend of funds and ride it out.

Yep thats pretty much what he said. Met with him yesterday with a follow up next week. He mentioned how the market is doing a little better kinda showing signs of life. His firm as well as some of the funds we are invested in are thinking the bottom has been reached. I guess noone really knows but like he said if you can afford to buy now then do so because what your money buys today will be some of the best returns you will ever see.
I'm an idiot when it comes to this stuff so I'll just ride along and when the country turns around, and it will in spite of Washington, I'll enjoy what I have left.