Thread: I am losing money!!!

Welcome to the board.

Step 1: Fix yourself a nice adult beverage of your choice.
Step 2: Wait for Birchtree to tell you to "Be right, sit tight."
Step 3: Drink adult beverage.
Step 4: Relax, you have the advantage of time and youth to make many more costly errors.
Step 5: Never listen to any financial advice from Minnow.

Once again, welcome to the boards. Educate yourself about the L funds and perhaps even using a system or premium service to make Interfund Transfers.

Have a great 3 day weekend.

I wish I had only lost $500 since August, way to go!

Welcome to the board, and welcome to investing and all of it's ups and downs.

Do what Minnow said and start reading and learning, it will help you not freak out when the market goes down.

Welcome, but don't do what I do! Best of luck.
Norman

One thing I always told myself during a Bear market period..You haven't lost a dime until you bail at the low..Hang on a couple of weeks where you're at, we'll be back on top again.....I call this a modest correction phase, it has to happen..Things have a way of reversing.....According to Birch..'Bulls always like it on top'.

Originally Posted by Buster

One thing I always told myself during a Bear market period..You haven't lost a dime until you bail at the low..Hang on a couple of weeks where you're at, we'll be back on top again.....I call this a modest correction phase, it has to happen..Things have a way of reversing.....According to Birch..'Bulls always like it on top'.

I've done that bailing at the low before, cost me 12K one time, that was when we had one move a Month!

Anyone still in the market?

I lost $17K before bailing out on Oct 1st (30% in C and 70% in S). Since then, I would have lost another $13K had I stayed in the market.

Now, all I need to focus on is when to get back in profitably.

FunkyHunky,

The 'S Fund' is the riskiest of the five funds available. You moved from a single fund allocation of the 'G Fund' with a recent average return of 2% or less with NO risk (there is some, but I tripped while jumping up to the soapbox) to the riskiest allocation you could possibly have. The 'S Fund' will return you between -12% and +28% two thirds of the time with a nice fat tail where you can spy Black Swans flying about.

In affect, you jumped from a nice picnic in a garden with no potential for growth to a Corvette already moving at high speed - but in an unknown direction. Losing $500 over a few months in your allocation is to be fully expected. In any year your $10K will end up being between $8,800 and $12,800 with the most likely return being $11,100. Your 'G Fund' allocation would have ended up at about $10,237 or so.

So, should you bail to the 'G Fund' and enjoy your Alpo Meal Deal Retirement Plan. Nope, it would take you more than two years to make up for your $500 buck loss and then in the end you will get a retirement income stream about equal to another Social Security check. I would listen to Minnow till you learn something about retirement investing. Invest in an L Fund closest to your retirement date. If you want to market time with no knowledge than pick the L Fund with a date one variant earlier than your retirement date - that is, if you are planning to retire in 2033 than pick L2030 or L2020. If the market feels good pick L2040.

You absolutely have to learn to let the market wobble around a bit. Five percent is too small a range to worry about - it is market noise. And, you allocation has you running naked through the Colosseum. If you are running naked you have to be ready for some towel slaps.

Son, you haven't lost anything but a little faith. Keep your sanity and this nonsense will pass - in the meantime keep on with the dollar cost averaging. These things happen at least twice a year and will turn because there is no recession in sight.

judging by the frequency of posts in the '$' threads, us econoclass investors aren't the only ones losing money.

No sir, go with the best and that is the C fund and then just sit back and watch the gains roll in. This is probably your last opportunity to make gains you've missed in the last 6 years. I'd jump on it right now and not look back.

I wouldn't worry about it, it's too late, you're too late, any moves you do now will probably just damage your account. If all you lost was 23K, then you don't have enought to retire on, so you minus will amp up your contributions.