Stock Market

Archived discussion from Toril-2.
Birile
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Stock Market

Postby Birile » Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:21 pm

So who got hammered in the market yesterday, raise your hand?

*RAISE*

I lost almost everything I had gained this year, especially since 90% of my holdings are international!
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Postby Tasan » Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:43 pm

That'll teach you, ya commie bastard :)
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Postby Corth » Thu Mar 01, 2007 12:45 am

I was up about 6% overall for the day. I am very bearish in this market and was short a few individual equities (RIMM, GM and CFC) and had a considerable amount of my assets long in a profund ETF (QID) which is two times the inverse of the Nasdaq 100. I also had a highly leveraged bet on the Yen against the Dollar and Euro, which appreciated mightily. On the other hand, even after yesterday I am still down quite a bit over the past 12 months or so... and I was long a couple of stocks (CEF and ENER) which got absolutely hammered. But I think that things are about to go my way. :)
Having said all that, the situation has been handled, so this thread is pretty much at an end. -Kossuth

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Postby sok » Thu Mar 01, 2007 12:57 am

from 010107-022707
i have gain 1.4%.

i had a great 2006 cuz of my sbc now at&t stock.
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Postby Kifle » Thu Mar 01, 2007 1:52 am

I'm fine. I trade trough wu-tang financial. I diversified my bonds and protected my neck...
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Postby Vaprak » Thu Mar 01, 2007 4:53 am

I invest for the long haul, so blips like this just mean that I get to buy in at a lower price.
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Birile
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Postby Birile » Thu Mar 01, 2007 1:52 pm

I wasn't too concerned, actually. It was actually kind of thrilling to see my usual high gains take a tumble--I had begun to feel a little invulnerable!
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Postby Corth » Thu Mar 01, 2007 2:22 pm

You and the rest of the market. Everyone was feeling invulnerable. Why else would people be plowing money into junk bonds when the yield hardly exceeded US treasuries? Nobody was perceiving risk. We're going to have another fun market today!
Having said all that, the situation has been handled, so this thread is pretty much at an end. -Kossuth



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Postby Birile » Thu Mar 01, 2007 2:24 pm

Good!
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Postby Ragorn » Thu Mar 01, 2007 3:39 pm

The pillowcase full of nickels I keep under my bed appreciated mightily yesterday as well.
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Postby Tasan » Thu Mar 01, 2007 3:49 pm

Ragorn wrote:The pillowcase full of nickels I keep under my bed appreciated mightily yesterday as well.


The sack is free, you have to provide your own doorknobs.
Danahg tells you 'yeah, luckily i kept most of it in my mouth and nasal membranes, ugh'



Dlur group-says 'I have a dead horse that I'm dragging down the shaft with my 4 corpses. Anyone want to help me beat it?'



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Postby Sarvis » Thu Mar 01, 2007 5:20 pm

Well, my 401(k) fund lost like $5, but I guess that means I'll get more when I pay into it today right?

The non 401(k) money I have is in a 5.05% interest rate savings account, so I'm probably fine.

It's kind of funny though, I've been halfheartedly looking around at different investments to see if there's a better place to put my money after I get a bit more in the savings account for emergencies and such. Nothing really seems to provide as good a gain though! Other than direct stock investment, which seems pointless with smaller sums of money.

Am I missing something here? Seems like a savings account shouldn't be that good...
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Vaprak
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Postby Vaprak » Thu Mar 01, 2007 7:07 pm

IANAFA (I am not a financial advisor), but if you're doing good with your 401k and maxing it out (or at least making sure that you're getting the max matching from your employer) the next best option for long term investment is usually a Roth IRA vested in a diversified portfolio of mutual funds (Index funds tend to be good right now because very few mutual fund managers can beat for example the S&P 500 index, and index funds have a lower cost ratio). The 401K and Roth IRA are going to have your best stabilized long term gains because of the insane tax benefits.

If you're maxing out your 401k AND our RothIRA you're already doing better than the vast majority of the population, but at that point you've got some room to play with your money a bit and either play the markets, go for Traditional IRAs (safer and some tax benefits), Money Market funds, Bonds, or even just buy into some Index funds from Vanguard for example.

It's totally not a bad idea to have some of your savings in a regular high yield savings or money market account though, you generally want 3 to 6 months wages (1-2 years if self employed) in a fairly liquid form that is still beating inflation.
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Postby Corth » Thu Mar 01, 2007 7:36 pm

People maxing out their 401k's and IRAs with broad index funds are going to be dogmeat when the 2nd great depression starts sometime this year.

Dow 4000. Buy and hold that! :)

Corth
Having said all that, the situation has been handled, so this thread is pretty much at an end. -Kossuth



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Postby Birile » Thu Mar 01, 2007 8:24 pm

Corth wrote:People maxing out their 401k's and IRAs with broad index funds are going to be dogmeat when the 2nd great depression starts sometime this year.

Dow 4000. Buy and hold that! :)

Corth


Someone's a big ol' bear...

As for the 401(k), if your company matches any amount you should definitely contribute whatever necessary in order to squeeze any extra nickels from your employer. My own employer offers this, though it's a rather cruddy match--50% of the employee contribution up to a whopping total of 3%--which means that if the employee puts anywhere from 1-6% into the 401(k), my company will match half of the contribution. Any employee contribution higher than 6% still only gets the 3% employer contribution. But still, it's better than nothing. It's like getting free money. Most employers who match any type of contribution require the employee to be with the company a certain amount of years in order for the employer contribution to be fully vested--my company requires 5 years to be fully vested, each year adding 20% vestment. I'm currently at 3 years with my company so I'm 60% vested in what my company has matched. (Apologies if this sounds like Greek to some people).

I used to put 10% into my 401(k) and get the company match of 3% (a total of 13% of my Gross income going to my 401(k) every 2 weeks) but I decided to drop it down to 6% (and still get the 3% match for a total of 9%) and use the extra money to invest elsewhere. This 9% rate means I'm putting approximately $250.00 into my 401(k) every 2 weeks. Since I've begun my 401(k) I've enjoyed a rate of return in the range of 16-23% annually. I'm rather happy with that. :) As for any Depression that may hit... (sorry, was snickering)... I'm young enough to bounce back in my later years and be financially secure in my twilight years.
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Postby Sarvis » Thu Mar 01, 2007 9:26 pm

My employer is crappy and doesn't match... or pay me what they should. But that's another story.

I'm also not necessarily looking long term here, I don't see much point in having a million dollars if it doesn't happen until I'm 70. I'm looking for something to kind of earn more money than I am actually earning. Maybe grow it for a couple years and then have enough to buy a franchise or small business or something that might actually be profitable.


*prepares to be yelled out about how that's not what investing is for*

Corth, what's this DOW 4000? Are you being serious or facetious? Or cereal?
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Postby Corth » Thu Mar 01, 2007 10:40 pm

I am unbelievably cereal. Soooo cereal. We must save the Dow from Manbearpig!
Having said all that, the situation has been handled, so this thread is pretty much at an end. -Kossuth



Goddamned slippery mage.
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Postby Kifle » Thu Mar 01, 2007 11:09 pm

Sarvis wrote:My employer is crappy and doesn't match... or pay me what they should. But that's another story.

I'm also not necessarily looking long term here, I don't see much point in having a million dollars if it doesn't happen until I'm 70. I'm looking for something to kind of earn more money than I am actually earning. Maybe grow it for a couple years and then have enough to buy a franchise or small business or something that might actually be profitable.


*prepares to be yelled out about how that's not what investing is for*

Corth, what's this DOW 4000? Are you being serious or facetious? Or cereal?


A franchise/business is an investment, just a different kind. That's the type of invenstment plan I am looking at in the somewhat near (15yrs) future.
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Postby Sarvis » Thu Mar 01, 2007 11:43 pm

Well yes, I know it's also an investment. I'm looking for investments that will get me to that point though, hopefully in less than a quarter of my life. :P
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Postby sok » Fri Mar 02, 2007 2:40 am

a while back, i met with my financial advisor who was pushing life insurance down my throat. i basically had to tell her she work for me and not vice visa. anyways, what are your thoughts about life insurance? especially since i'm only 31. i hate paying toward something and after 25 years getting nothing out of it.
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Postby Sarvis » Fri Mar 02, 2007 2:55 am

If I had a wife or kids I'd consider it, but if I had and died right now the money wouldn't even go to anyone!
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Postby Jhorr » Fri Mar 02, 2007 4:48 am

Since I've begun my 401(k) I've enjoyed a rate of return in the range of 16-23% annually.


Damn, what mutual funds should I switch to? I only earn like 6%.
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Postby Ambar » Fri Mar 02, 2007 2:22 pm

I personally have whole life insurance, get that while you are young and the rates dont go up .. term life is crappy if you outlive it, but great if you die while you have it .. No matter if you are single or married with kids, SOME insurance is great .. mine would pay off the house and my debts .. *shrug* thats all I need to feel secure .. I also have some small term policy that matches what the military used to offer, I get that for like 12$/month .. so yeah I am probably better off dead (LOL)

I also had a 401k from my last job that I found out too late I had to freeze or roll over within a couple weeks after I left the job or they liquidate it (how nice of them to send me that info like 6 weeks after I quit) .. I THOUGH it would be there for me until my new job allows me to open a 401k (have to wait for a few months at the new job.. bummer)

I have had a Roth IRA for like 6 years, but it that hasnt been fully funded for a couple years (the loss of the active duty military pay KILLED us) .. I really need to fully fund it again .. and maybe rearrange some things, I dont think a LOT is in high risk, it is mostly low, steady climbs ..

Investments are great, and depending on who you are and what kind of risk taker you are, you can developa portfolio that fits YOU .. I personally dont know jack about it, so I am in it for the long haul, little blips and burps in the stock market dont really bother me too much, since in the long run I win at about a 10% rate .. I may not be rich, but I dont get ulcers over the stock market every day :) And with the Navy Retirement we wont ever starve :)

Starting investments early is better, but starting at ALL is terrific .. I didnt start mine til I was 32 I think .. I kick myself in the head when I think about how much better off I'd be if I'd started earlier ..

Just my non-professional, laymans terms investments/life insurance opinions
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Postby rylan » Fri Mar 02, 2007 2:25 pm

sok wrote:a while back, i met with my financial advisor who was pushing life insurance down my throat. i basically had to tell her she work for me and not vice visa. anyways, what are your thoughts about life insurance? especially since i'm only 31. i hate paying toward something and after 25 years getting nothing out of it.


Life insurance should not be looked at as an investment. Think of it like car insurance... you pay for it and hope you don't use it. Level term is the best bet. You can get a lot of insurance (500K for example) for a low price during th eperiod when it would be needed most if something happens.. Something like 20-25 year depending on the age of your kids, or 25-30 year if you're planning on having some soon.
Insurance plans that have a cash value or some other worth over time always are a crappy investment compared to the return you could get by putting the money elsewhere.
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Postby Corth » Fri Mar 02, 2007 10:27 pm

Not a big fan of whole life insurance. Get a sufficient amount of term life insurance if you have people dependent upon your income.
Having said all that, the situation has been handled, so this thread is pretty much at an end. -Kossuth



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