This market is making me nervous!

[chrisburke21]

This Market

Yes, it does look like the market has a good chance of going down. All you can do is to make sure your investment portfolio is appropriate for your age. Remember you are invested for the long term, market fluctuations are part of the investment cycle.

[Abiezer]

No doubt Stock markets include big risk and only a person with good luck can survive in these market and you are one of the successful person who earned a lot of money from these market. The more you will earn from these markets the more your need will increase to invest more. By the way profit and loss is a part of business.

[ecoadapt]

There's no constant in this economy. Not even the money you are investing! So,be wise in all your decisions!

[snafu]

Stop loss orders will protect you from significant loss if used correctly but it's scary to be 100% responsible for your money. I'm forever trying to figure out if I'm looking at transparency or spin when I listen to the 6 PM news. If you're seeking middle ground, look at an ETF [Exchange Traded Fund] perhaps a bank index or utilities index depending on your age and risk tolerance. Personally, my next buy will be a Latin American Index ETF or an Emerging Market Bond Fund mostly because those folk have money to pay back their debts.

[Gailete]

No doubt Stock markets include big risk and only a person with good luck can survive in these market

I don't think luck has anything to do with it. I think knowledge and research are a big part of it. The stock market can be risky sure, but what is more risky is sticking your money under a mattress so you don't lose any. 20-30 years from now when you go to retire, you find that the lump under your matteress hasn't grown at all and due to inflation isn't worth much either. An extreme example sure, but I think if a person is prudent, the stock market can be worth it to invest in and I would much rather trust myself than turn over my money to someone I don't know to invest when his needs are at cross purposes with mine. Even if you want to use an account manager of some kind, you need to do enough research & study that you understand him, that you can tell him precisely what you want and how you want your money handled, and most of all you don't want him churning your account.

[Jimhassel]

You cannot pin point on any news or event as profitable or not, whether you should buy or not in that time. There is nothing like failure in the field because even the experts fail as often as they succeed.

[Gailete]

Since the election, the stock market has been pretty much down. As I am taking a long term approach to it, I don't mind as I know it will go up. This does make a better time to be investing while prices are lower. I'm expecting a check any day now for a tad over $100 that I want to invest in my Roth IRA. Not much I know, but I prefer to buy while the price is down so I get more shares. I also have some money in the account in cash so I will be investing more than that $100. Since I'm on disability, 'retirement' is a moot point for me, so I started a Roth IRA with a 30 year look out on retirement (can't remember the actual name). I did 30 years as the last thing I needed was too conservative fund and as I'm older than my husband, I want it to have the best chance of producing results for his profit.


Funny, way back in 8th grade, I was a library aid at my school. For some reason the librarian wanted to get us interesed in the stock market and so he had those of us that helped him out track a stock for the year. I choose Pepsi. When I see where it is now compared to where it was then I could weep. If I only had 10 shares back then, I suspect I would have a nice chunk of change now, 50+ years later. The market goes up and down but historically it always rises. Maybe someday that will change, but I hope it doesn't for a good long time!

[silvor]

The market goes up and down but historically it always rises.

I helped my dad invest a decent chunk of money 12 years ago. The DOW is at exactly the same point as back then. Thing is, he's doubled his money. Dividends and capital gains sure make a difference.

I think this is the reason people get so nervous though and say "the market hasn't risen". Well, he still doubled his money.

I work in the brokerage business and one of the old timers reminded me of the 70s when the market went nowhere, but he still kept investing. It's just like that now. We're in a cyclical down market. It'll come back. In the mean time, just collect the dividends, reinvest them and wait a bit.

[Gailete]

In the mean time, just collect the dividends, reinvest them and wait a bit.

Thanks for confirming that. In my little stock portfolio I have all dividend producing stocks and at this point I'm getting one whole new share a year on several of them. Doesn't sound like much but each of those shares will also throw off dividends, etc. I look at the whole thing as an enjoyable exercise in what can happen and where will I be in 10 years with buying from just 5% of the net profits from our little on line business. The best thing about all this is my youngest son is now also investing very carefully and I hope (for many reasons the biggest being to show what an autistic person CAN do) that by the time he is of retirment age that he will be worth well over a million dollars.

My philosophy on this is from a little acorn grew a mighty oak. I've never had a lot but by putting away what I could I will have more than if I hadn't put any away at all and believe me I sure could find lots of places to put that money!

[elessar78]

Rebalance.