What % of assets do you have in equities?

[disneysteve]

I used to be about 80-85% equities and 15-20% cash/fixed income. Little by little, basically because I wasn't paying close enough attention and my rate of savings increased, I find I am now about 69% equities. Being only 41, I realize I've got to boost that back up into the mid-80's so I'm working on doing that now. By year's end, I want to be back over 80%.

So where does everyone else stand? And what ratio do you try and maintain? Include your age in your response as that obviously plays a big role in your decision.

[autoxer]

I'm 27 years old and about 88% equities (68% deferred retirement accounts, 20% stocks), 12% fixed (2 cars, no house), and 0% cash. I would feel a lot more comfortable with a cash emergency fund, so that is one of my short term goals. I will probably liquidate some of the stocks to help with a house downpayment in the next couple of years. But I don't have any ideal ratios yet, because I have only been tracking my net worth for about 6 months.

[msnln]

I am 38 and 97% of my paper assets are in stock, and 3% in cash (US treasuries). But paper asset is only 20% of my total assets. The remaining 80% are in real estate and I collect rent every month. I purchased all my properties during 1990s so I am doing fairly well with them and have no intention of ever selling them, even though RE market will probably cool down over the next 4-5 years. Whenever RE market cools, rental market heats up and when the market hits the bottom, I am going to buy more RE. The way I see it, hard assets such as RE is the way to build wealth, which will be passed down to my kids eventually.

[Ima saver]

I have about 50% of my paper assets in stock and mutual funds, and I have about 50% in cash which I use for building speculative houses. I also own my house free and clear, which is worth over a half mil, plus 2 lots worth about $150,000. I am not going to tell my exact age because I act like I am 30!!(just don't look it) I am a grandma! A grandma that likes to dance and I won the dance contest at the last party I went to.

[JBinKC]

Currently 92% because I am finding some bargains again. I was about 65% at this time last year.

[lucasrd]

I am 25 years old...

currently only put about 33% in the stock market..wife and I make a high income, so that averages out to be about $4500/mo between 401K (b-4 tax & with employer matches) and Mutual funds (after tax)...

I purchase a $1000 CD each month and keep the rest in a money market.

I know I should put more into stocks, but dang, that'd be a ton of cash to put in... $4500/mo seems like enough....

[Duchesse]

Everyone here knows I'm afraid of stocks. I consider them risky, in a nut shell. I'm impressed by the courage on this site. I am in my early 40's. My net worth is approx. 700k, I have 5% !! of paper assets in equities. The rest is in RE, fixed income vehicles, and MM.

I guess you would say I'm wimpy, wimpy, wimpy.

[Ima saver]

I don't blame you for being wimpy. I did well in mutual funds in the nineties, so i started buying stock right around 1999. Most of what I bought has not done that well, so I am just letting it ride, hoping it will come back some. If not, I learned a valuable lesson.

[dickyvman]

I have about 90% in stocks and I'm 29 years old. All equities are in retirement/tax deferred accounts.

[puppypal]

Mine are mostly tax defered school bonds paying around6% New to the saving game but between paying out the taxes in dividends and all that I figure 1 or 2 % would hurt my net. I truely enjoy having a safety net! Scared to risk anything

[WellManicuredMan]

I opened up a Roth IRA yesterday through Vanguard, deposited the full $4,000 and dumped it all into their Prime Money Market Fund. I'm much too fearful of the market right now. Inflation + Federal Reserve + Middle East War + Oil going to $80 a barrel + slowing economy = bad time to be in the market. That is until the selling gets so ridiculous that it becomes a steal. Right now I'm thinking around October will be a good time to enter.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by WellManicuredMan

I opened up a Roth IRA yesterday through Vanguard, deposited the full $4,000 and dumped it all into their Prime Money Market Fund. I'm much too fearful of the market right now. Inflation + Federal Reserve + Middle East War + Oil going to $80 a barrel + slowing economy = bad time to be in the market. That is until the selling gets so ridiculous that it becomes a steal. Right now I'm thinking around October will be a good time to enter.

Well, trying to time the market is a fool's game, but in the case of mutual funds you are stuck with the minimum investment, $3,000 in the case of Vanguard, so I can agree with your reluctance to buy into a pure stock fund right now. Perhaps a balanced fund or a targeted retirement fund might be a good choice if you want to get some equity exposure.

Congrats on your new Roth in any case.

[PrincessPerky]

Sigh, I don't even know what an equity is....

[Ima saver]

I just sent off for a prospectus on the Vanguard Prime money market fund. I think they are paying about 4.8% right now. I have all my IRA's there.

[WellManicuredMan]

Originally Posted by Ima saver

I just sent off for a prospectus on the Vanguard Prime money market fund. I think they are paying about 4.8% right now. I have all my IRA's there.

It is paying 4.99% right now.

You can check the rate any time on any stock website using the symbol VMMXX or through Vanguard's site.

[WellManicuredMan]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

Well, trying to time the market is a fool's game, but in the case of mutual funds you are stuck with the minimum investment, $3,000 in the case of Vanguard, so I can agree with your reluctance to buy into a pure stock fund right now. Perhaps a balanced fund or a targeted retirement fund might be a good choice if you want to get some equity exposure.

Congrats on your new Roth in any case.

Thanks

I'm sorta just watching the markets, hoping they continue to go Down, Down, Down so I can Buy, Buy, Buy. I have a 401(k) in Vanguard's target retirement 2045 fund (not worth much, just started this as well) and was thinking of doing something different with my Roth money.