Time to buy stocks?
 

What do some of you think? I was up a little over 17% for the current year. That's on a small group of stocks I've purchased on the side since I've been working here at RAH. No idea what my long term ones are doing. The market is plunging which for younger investors could be a good thing allowing some to get in while the market is down. For those getting ready to retire it could hurt dramatically.

What say you on where we stand? My EWA (iShares Australia) has dropped $4.00 today alone. Any of you selling or holding out to see what happens?

Hats off to you being a year 1 f/o and being able to purchase stock. I'm just hoping to get bills paid when I start.

Patience pays
 

Most advisors who aren't making a commission on your trades will say "buy regularly, diversify your portfolio, and hold." Trying to time the market or pick the next winner is fun, but risky, especially when you're sure you know which way it's going to go.
They also recommend that you own mostly equities when young, shifting the ratio slowly to mostly fixed-income securities by retirement age. I think the goal of investing should be protection of your capital, with modest real (inflation-adjusted) growth.

Forget individual stocks, buy into a well diversified mutual fund(s), add to said mutual funds on a regular basis (IE - monthly) and hold, have dividends reinvested, regardless of what the market does. It's called dollar cost averaging. Don't even open your statements (file them away though), so as to resist the temptation to screw with them. Over the long haul you do very well.

I think mutual funds are for suckers. If you don't believe me, tune into CNBC's series "The Millionaire Inside." These self made millionaires will tell you mutual funds are are almost never the best option with your money. If you're after diversification try index funds.

So are you telling me you're a millionaire? Must be easy. The only ones getting rich on that show are the ones producing it.

Are you saying no one has gotten wealthy from saving and investing wisely over the long haul using mutual funds?

I own a couple good stocks like wal-mart and Boeing. However those are out of my price range and I've never purchased another share since the initial buy. However they have been great stocks.

Currently I've only started investing a little amount. I currently own XJT(coming to bite me but no reason to sell. It was cheap when I bought it so no harm no foul). I also have a couple of iShares. They seem to be doing very well. Well they were. My current portfolio dropped 19.4% within the past two weeks. However I've decided to buy more this next week. Things will be tight till the next paycheck but a little suffering now can make life a lot better in the long run.

Vegabond could probably give better stats but I want to say the stock market has averaged 12% a year since the great depression. Keeping that in mind I don't do the whole buy/sell game unless it's on an individual stock that's shouting at me. I treat my portfolio more like a 401k. I just put what I can in when I can and spread it out. I let it build up in a money market account until it's enough to purchase something then I decided on which one/s to put them in. I like the ishares. I use morningstar.com as well to research them some.

I know everyone says to max your 401K first but on first year F/O pay that will never happen. I put 10% into my 401k and the rest into my investment account so I can have cash readily available should the shyt hit the fan.

Don't live beyond your means. Pack a lunch, that $5-$10 a day on food counts up fast in a month. Take the longest days you can. I find I spend more money when I'm at home. At least on the road I get per diem. I had guys in my training class dog me because I wouldn't go eat lunch with them all the time because I didn't want to spend my $400 they gave me per week. They told me, "Dude the reason you have per diem is so you can spend it". They called me a tight-wad and so on. I get about $32.50 in per diem a day and I usually stay under $10.00 a day on expenses while on trips.

Learn to live within your first of the month paycheck. Mine sucks like no other but I've managed. When I get the per diem that $300-$500 is what goes into my investment account. A few months worth and then I make another purchase. Also when on the road you aren't running up the electric bill and aren't watching TV so might as well cancel the TV. If anything just get DSL and watch whatever TV shows you like on their website. I've found getting rid of the TV has made me do other things like start training for another marathon, read more books, and learn things better like investing.

Must be getting old, but I am a "buy and hold" kind of girl, I favor the old reliables like Boeing (and yes, I also own FedEx which was way down today), and I believe in Uncle Warren by also owning a few shares of Berkshire Hathaway. I do own shares of my beloved Alaska Airlines, but with the price so low, I'm a little ashamed to admit it now.

There is an investment vehicle for every type of person, personality and temperament. I agree with tom's assessment.

I buy a little Wal-Mart each paycheck. Nice to have a stable blue-chip to pass on to my son someday. (although I admit that I get a .15cent/dollar discount which makes it worthwhile almost regardless of the stock's performance).

Aside from that though, the bulk of my investments are through my LPL fund manager. 1 Roth IRA, 1 IRA, 1 Beneficiary IRA, 1 investment account, 1 529 for the little fella, and my 401K.