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View Full Version : How Far Are You From "Breaking Even"?



Rod
08-19-2004, 04:23 AM
How far are you from "breaking even" from these past few weeks of market chaos?

I am $26.58 away from "breaking even".:^

God Bless:)

rokid
08-19-2004, 06:01 AM
Just crossed from negative to positive for the year.$181.10 to the good!:^

Pilgrim
08-19-2004, 08:32 AM
I am still $4,600 to the red since May 1( I still use the old two statement dates per year to keep track). Did fine the first part of the year but have taken a bath along with the rest of you since. A market increase of about 2.5% will make break even. If I factor in probable G-fund performance, the market needs to go up about 5% between today and November 1 for me to have as much as I would have had if I had been all G-fund this period.

Anybody give me odds?

08-19-2004, 08:42 AM
Rod wrote:
How far are you from "breaking even" from these past few weeks of market chaos?

I am $26.58 away from "breaking even".:^

God Bless:)


Currently I'm up 12.46% for the year. However, if I sold my S fund right now, I'd still be down -2.59% since June 30th, our last high point. Buy and holders are down -6.8% since that point. :P

CJ
08-21-2004, 09:52 PM
Rod,

For this year, I'm in the green again (1.09%). Two weeks ago I pulled out and avoided the recent 5%(ish) drop. Which brings up an interesting topic.

* I don't understand the stubbornness with holding onto a sinking ship. When I see that I've made a mistake, I move to the sidelines of G, and wait for the turn. Then, buy back in at a lower price, which results in purchasing more shares than I would have been holding on to.

Comments please.

Rolo
08-22-2004, 12:32 AM
I am pretty much even, :{ 0.0136%


CJ wrote:

* I don't understand the stubbornness with holding onto a sinking ship.

Fear of missing gains, or fear of selling just before the turning point and having to buy back higher.

Yes, it is irrational, but it is real, and I've been pretty good with the real irrational lately. :h

Henceforth, I am heeding my own advise and sticking with the definites (buy on confirmed rallies) and selling at the first sign of a downtrend, "sure thing" (pretty much) vs. "could be".

It seems like it is hard to go wrong with trading on moving averages.

bud
08-22-2004, 03:04 PM
I have listened to the advice on here since April 1. Since then my total contributions have been about $3100 and I am now down about $1000 from where I was April 1...shoulda stayed in the G fund

Rolo
08-22-2004, 05:48 PM
hehehehe, I just read the topic as:

How Far Are You From "Breaking"?

lol

Thorazine, anyone?

tsptalk
08-22-2004, 06:47 PM
bud wrote:
I have listened to the advice on here since April 1. Since then my total contributions have been about $3100 and I am now down about $1000 from where I was April 1...shoulda stayed in the G fund

Shoulda is right. But it's not about the past. What are you doing now? The G fund isn't going to get it done for you in the long run unless you want to work until you are 65-70.

Those of you who were with me from the start know that back in January when I told people the market was due for several months of sideways to downward action, I took a lot of flack. I looked like a tight, conservative investor to everyone while the market was coming of a huge year (one in which I made 39% by the way). I got out too early but as we look back it would have paid to stayconservative for a longer period of time. Now I've been very bullish for a couple of months but I think I am just early again. Take my advice for what it is, my take on what my indicators are telling me. I'm no guru or economist.Blindly buying and holding a diversified account always looks better when the market goes down. But when it goes up, you have to be willing to get aggressive.

I'm certainly not proud to be down 4% at this point of the year, but if you compare it to the 39% years you can see where it pays to take a chance. You'll never have a 40, 30, 20 or even 10% year in the G fund.

Tom

Rolo
08-22-2004, 07:24 PM
I'll just be concerned if Tom starts handing out Kool-Aid. :D

tsptalk
08-22-2004, 07:55 PM
:l

Can I get an amen? :u

Spaf
08-22-2004, 10:12 PM
The TSP was created by congress.

It is part of our retirement program. It's a savings program. It has now five funds that we can invest in.

Our basic problem is that we are novices to the stock market.

The G fund is about 3% or better, the rest can be very up and down.

If used with discretion, TSP-Talk is the best and only guidance we have.

Tom did a good thing!

Rod
08-23-2004, 09:01 AM
bud wrote:
I have listened to the advice on here since April 1. Since then my total contributions have been about $3100 and I am now down about $1000 from where I was April 1...shoulda stayed in the G fund


How in the world did you lose32%in 4 months???:shock:

Were ya 100% I Fundthe enitre time???

smine
08-23-2004, 03:37 PM
So what was today.....market indecision!;) Days like today make me think that if you did do well Friday, as C and especially S surged, then an escape to G should naturally follow, as protection. Otherwise what was gained is again lost? After a small gain, trying to recoup, I moved to G effective today. Just trying to survive and keep what I have!

JerBer
08-23-2004, 04:22 PM
Good move Smine! You dodged a bullet today, unfortunately not all of us got out in time!

Rod
08-23-2004, 04:49 PM
JerBer wrote:
Good move Smine! You dodged a bullet today, unfortunately not all of us got out in time!


It's not much of a bullet nor much of a loss.

Of course, I'm comparing things to a couple weeks ago.;)

smine
08-23-2004, 07:55 PM
Well, I'll be glad for small favors! Small loss or large loss, I am tired of losses. I get a few highs sometimes, then retreat. I am not seeing the big huge gains we got Aug-Dec, 2003. Until then, I'll play it tigher, avoiding any loss if possible.

tsptalk
11-08-2004, 06:42 PM
bud wrote:
I have listened to the advice on here since April 1. Since then my total contributions have been about $3100 and I am now down about $1000 from where I was April 1...shoulda stayed in the G fund
bud -
You wrote that on August 22nd. How's your TSP account been treatingyou since? I'll bet you got your $1000 back plus. :)

Dakota
11-09-2004, 02:00 PM
I'm up about 8,000 since this time last year with no contributions. I didn't start in this project till mid summer but I've made about 4,000 since then. I pay close attention to what all ya'll say, and try to stick with what my allocations tell you. All I can say is thanks for your thoughts, charts and comments. I will be watching... you are all very informed, and you keep me reading and studying all the time.. I wish all the best of luck

11-09-2004, 10:35 PM
Dakota wrote:
I'm up about 8,000 since this time last year with no contributions. I didn't start in this project till mid summer but I've made about 4,000 since then. I pay close attention to what all ya'll say, and try to stick with what my allocations tell you. All I can say is thanks for your thoughts, charts and comments. I will be watching... you are all very informed, and you keep me reading and studying all the time.. I wish all the best of luck
Dakota, if you have a million dollars in your account, that's not too good. If you have 8000 in your account, that's great. I don't think we need to know dollar amounts, just percentages. Makes more since to me anyway.:^



Good luck.....

Timer
11-09-2004, 10:56 PM
just percentages


Up 13% since the end of January. Didn't make (or loose) money Jan-Octtill this latest bull run. 40% of me says bank it in the G :shock:and 60% of me says it's going to take a breather then go up again :^. So... naturally I'm here wonderin what all ya'll have to say:i.

Mike
11-10-2004, 12:19 AM
Economic numbers are good, so I have every reason to believe we'll just see a correction followed by another advance.

Dakota
11-10-2004, 08:31 AM
mlk_man wrote:
Dakota wrote:
I'm up about 8,000 since this time last year with no contributions. I didn't start in this project till mid summer but I've made about 4,000 since then. I pay close attention to what all ya'll say, and try to stick with what my allocations tell you. All I can say is thanks for your thoughts, charts and comments. I will be watching... you are all very informed, and you keep me reading and studying all the time.. I wish all the best of luck
Dakota, if you have a million dollars in your account, that's not too good. If you have 8000 in your account, that's great. I don't think we need to know dollar amounts, just percentages. Makes more since to me anyway.:^



Good luck.....
MM I don't know what % were because I played market day to day, I do know thats a lot better than I would have done IF i had stayed in the security of the G fund, My humblest apologies for throwing money on the table, I really don't look at my statement and then figure the %. I'm just trying to make money.I am only trying to help people realize that If you stay in security of the G. Your loosing out on a lot of potential. Thanks for your input. MM i DON'T USUALLU HAVE MUCH TO SAY

11-10-2004, 09:59 AM
MM I don't know what % were because I played market day to day, I do know thats a lot better than I would have done IF i had stayed in the security of the G fund, My humblest apologies for throwing money on the table, I really don't look at my statement and then figure the %. I'm just trying to make money.I am only trying to help people realize that If you stay in security of the G. Your loosing out on a lot of potential. Thanks for your input. MM i DON'T USUALLU HAVE MUCH TO SAY
I don't either Dakota, I speak softly and carry a big stick......................I think you actually learn more by sitting back watching and listening instead of talking all the time.

Wonder if the one's I'm referring to realize it? :P

TGA
11-10-2004, 01:38 PM
is someone talking to me.... my ears are burning! LOL

11-10-2004, 01:49 PM
TGA wrote:
is someone talking to me.... my ears are burning! LOLLOL

tsptalk
11-10-2004, 07:17 PM
TGA wrote:
is someone talking to me.... my ears are burning! LOL
I think that (ears burning) is the universal buy signal. Rod uses his gut. You have your ears.;)

Unfortunately my signal is being wrong for a couple months. After I'm wrong for a couple of months I know exactly what to do. :oo