Thread: POLL: HOW MUCH $$$ MEMBERS HAVE LOST SINCE 1/1/05

If I lost 16K, which button do I push? There's a gap

Thanks Timer - my oversight. I need Tom's help to edit. System will not let me edit poll questions.

WW, I am setting with a long term aggressive allocation. Before today, I was crying! I am hoping my tears go away for the rest of the year.

Year-to-date (as of April 21st), I am down 0.8%.
I think that is pretty good considering that I lost 2.6% just on Jan 4th and then another 0.7% on Jan 5th and was down a total of 4% on Jan 25th.
Lucky, I took MarketTimer's advise and was out of the stock funds during the last month's plunge. Mmmm..G-fund.

Wonder Woman wrote:

I have lost a lot and I was wondering if other members have also lost.
Thank you WW

Linda, You made 2% on all-of-your-holdings just today, right?

It was a difficult quarter. I used the most recent statement from TSP.gov to evaluate it. I was not 100% invested so I had gains from the G-fundand I had contributions which all taken together offset my market losses, leaving net asset value essentially unchanged for the period. That makes it a little easier to take, at least ifI just look at my bottom line. I voted according to my net loss, gains in G minus losses in CSI without considering the contributions. Result? In the 3 to 5 category.

This seems to put me right in the middle of the pack. But most folks here are fully invested I think, so I conclude that my account balance is in the upper quartile of all tsp-talkers. As I have been contributing to the tsp for 20 years, this is not surprising. It is also why I am so risk-averse, with only 5-7 years to go.

Dave

I got in and out a little and was blesed by the Lord. So I have made up a lot. I did a recaculation today and I am happy. The G fund and a few one day trades saved me. My biggest loss was the first 3 days of January.

In Feb I actually was ahead $900, then that awful March followed. Lost most of mydeposits for the year, about $2800. Recent strategies have gained about 1/2 of that back, especially today. As a "catch-up" old person with less than 2 years to retire, it's a wonder I play with this! However, as WW said, it's almost addictive as well as interesting. With the right advice and luck it should also be profitable. Gained about 12% last year....better than CDs, mutual funds, IRA,or savings accounts.

The market goes up, the market goes down - my wager is that it will be higher in 40 years than it is today, and to me, that is really all that matters.

To those who are within 10 years of retirement, be careful. Downturns like this one are precisely why you reduce exposure in equities over time...

Who knows, maybe a bottom has been formed, and we'll head on up from here.

I will retire in 2 - 5 yrs. I will continue to play the markets until I pull out of the TSP. So far this yr I am down about 2%. I can not complain, just made a few wrong moves at the wrong time. I want sayexactly what %I made last yr, but it was more than 15% and less than 55%. It was a good yr for me. I guessed right more times than I guessed wrong. To me, playing with my TSP funds is a cheap form of gambling. I will say this, since the start of 2000 I have doubled what I had in at that time, which includes my contributions. This will be my one and only time to talk about my account.For those of you who may be inclined to follow what I do, be fore warned that you do so at your own risk. Any comments I make are just how I feel at the time. I have no special system and I play the market on an educated guess and nothing more. If one of you wants to track my plays, have at it. Sometimes it is more important to just play the game and lose rather than having not played at all. What I try to do is add a little humor tothe game.

Mike wrote:

The market goes up, the market goes down - my wager is that it will be higher in 40 years than it is today

Is it that up with or without accounting for inflation? It does make a difference; specially, over 40 years.

P.S. Mike, I'm glad to see you back posting on this board.