How Low Dow?

[CuppaJoe]

Dow will be approaching 13000, and this will go down as the most overrated thing since global warming....

Innova, I, too, see the Dow hovering around 13000 for many months. Good take on how the media will tell the story.

"How Low Dow"? I don't have the heart to call a low but will order Tomato Beef Chow Mein.

 

[aworkingrachel]

that's not nerves of steel. that's me not knowing what i'm doing.

Yeah, me too!

I chose "oh my god." I have great faith in the ability of investors to make emotional decisions. Luckily, I also believe they'll make emotional decisions when the market turns around, which it inevitably will someday.

I'm just glad I have time to ride it out...

 

[DblDoc]

I know all of this, but fear and a lack of confidence in this market has driven me to the sidelines. I think the Dow will fall, I don't know to where, but its on its way down. This has all taught me that I'm a 50/50 investor not an 80/20.

So have you re-invested to 50:50?

DD

 

[unclemick]

Hmmm - you did say next year.

2009, Saint's head for Superbowl, Dem in the White House, Dow 18,000.

World still in shock after first Alien contact - It's Santa Claus!



heh heh heh - balanced index - carry on. Now that Bret's retired I think my Sister will go back to the Pat's, quit telling people she's independant when she's really a Repubplican and Vanguard's computers will rebalance my Target Retirement whichever way the market goes.

 

[nun]

So have you re-invested to 50:50?

DD

Not yet. As I'm market timing now I may as well roll the dice and sit on the cash while the Dow tanks

I'll get back in when the market has settled down and its either below 11500 or above 12500. Probably a sucker move, but in for a penny ....etc

 

[chinaco]

I prefer "High Dow Now" the alternative Asian dish.

 

[Purron]

Interesting to see this poll from March 2008 considering the DOW went below 11,000 today. Guess for most of us our crystal balls didn't work so good.

 

[W2R]

I voted for 10,500 on the poll. I hope I wasn't being too optimistic!

 

[Bestwifeever]

On the other hand the headline is "Dow below 11,000 for the first time in two years"--I remember feeling pretty flush two years ago....

 

[rs0460a]

How about putting money into extra mortgage payments rather than a market that looks like it will fall over the next six months.

Can't do that (we don't have a note/mortgage )....

Had to respond, though. Our current (retirement) home had a 30-year note, the house being built in 1994. Through a "radical" LBYM lifestyle, we paid it off in late '99 (5.5 years).

During that period of time, the market was on an upward trend. The pundits said to "beg, borrow, or steal to put funds into the market". Why? - of course, "this time it's different" ...

The result? We "retired" our note/mortgage while the market was "up". In late '99, we took that "monthly payment" and maxed out our 401k's. Needeless to say, over the next few years (2000-02) we "bought cheap" (much like today? ).

Fast forward a decade. We planned on retirement at our normal SS age of 66 (no plans for ER). After "looking at the numbers" as we approached 60, we determined that looking at our projected withdrawl rate vs. what our income actually was, we were working for a couple of cents an hour ... (Disclaimer - this was for our plan, till age 100, with no desire to accrue a large estate. Whatever's remaining is going to charity). That lead to my retirement early last year, at age 59. My wife (same age) was planning on doing the same, but as her birthday approached (her planned retirement date), she felt that she was not "emotionally ready" to retire. No problem; she continues to be employed, which allows me to continue to fund a "spousal Roth IRA" for myself from my retirement income.

Needless to say for us, your "observation" turned out well, when we did the exact opposite!

What should you do? Don't know - don't care. Just thought I would share our story, based upon your comment.

- Ron