Poll - What are Your Paper Losses?

[FIREd]

Wow, so far, as a community, we've lost between $13.5M and $23M+... And only 49 people have reported their losses so far!

[Helena]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound By the way, look over the entire world. Many foreign stock indices went down more than S&P 500 or the DOW. There's misery all over the world. So, are we all poorer? Probably not, if we do not compare to the few who have gone 100% to cash. There! I hope I make everybody happier. We still own the same companies as we did last year, the same house we did. Just the price tag we put on them got marked down. Again, do not compare yourself to the few who are 100% in cash. We are in this together.

There are more in 100% cash than you realize.

Me included.

[Helena]

Quote:

Originally Posted by UncleHoney Glad there is an "I made money" category now. And I guess you can classify my gains as "paper" too. Especially the paper with pictures of George, Abe, Alex, Andy, US Grant and Ben Franklin. The CD's are slow but steady and I keep adding to my portrait collection every month.

Ditto

And, the value of those picture papers has increased internationally as well.


~

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helena There are more in 100% cash than you realize. Me included.

So you've told us...and told us...and told us.

[NW-Bound]

Either absolute dollars or percentage, there are obviously people in this forum who have lost more than me. Why is my wife still nagging at me? How do I tell her if it weren't for the market, frugal as we have been, we could never have saved enough for this money that we still have. The market gives, and the market takes, well still less than it gives. Helleluya, the glass is still half full (but I do not dare drink it!).

I have been telling her that what we "lost" is "lost". The question is how to keep what we still have, AND manage to grow it from here. Got too! Still got 10 years until early SS. Can't quit the game yet!

PS. To people in 100% cash. I may envy you now. And I do not wish you ill luck. However, investment is a continuing process. Are we ever at the end of the race? When does the fat lady sing, if not over our casket? Until then, no one knows. Gosh, this uncertainty is what makes life exciting!

[Helena]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo So you've told us...and told us...and told us.

Yup... I've been singing the virtues of the no debt/cash position
for well over a year. Too bad so many are tone deaf.

[Dawg52]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helena Yup... I've been singing the virtues of the no debt/cash position for well over a year. Too bad so many are tone deaf.

Well after the country goes bankrupt and the dollar becomes worthless, we will all be sharing our total loss in a new poll.

[NW-Bound]

To Helena,

In 2000, there are many millionaires owning stocks of Enron, Global Crossing, and countless other stocks. Granted, the dollar is not going to zero like the above companies - I sure hope not. But, please see my post above. The fat lady has not sung, and when she does, she does for each of us individually. If I had been 100% in cash, I would not make a "victory lap". The race has simply not ended.

I wasn't in this forum, when people probably picked on you for going 100% cash. I would not make fun of you, as they did. I think people tend to forget that we come here to exchange ideas, and for me, to also tell some jokes to cheer people up. No matter what other people chose to do with their money, I respect their decision. It's their money after all, no?

[Culture]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Want2retire I put in another category of "I made money". Sounds like that's ok with you.

Thanks!

[Culture]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound OK. How about this to alleviate your pain? Actual dollar figure: $1B. Percentage: 95%. Do we all feel better now?

Seriously, this would probably have a big impact on your psychological health. I would be seriously depressed, despite the remaining $61M

[calmloki]

Everybody just calm down - the Department of Economic Security has matters well in hand.

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawg54 Well after the country goes bankrupt and the dollar becomes worthless, we will all be sharing our total loss in a new poll.

Those in 100% cash need to keep more than dollars. Better to diversify to also hold euros, canadian and australian dollars, Swiss Franc, etc... I wonder how many of them are doing that.

[laurence]

Some people lost more than a million? Wow, how many times did you throw up? Then again, with a 40% drop, that only takes a 3 million dollar portfolio...but man, that sucks.

[aaronc879]

I guess being young has hurt me. Since i'm 29 years old, I have about 90% in stocks and have personally gone down just over 30% since the recent high. However, I will hold strong and continue buying and be well above the "cash people" in 5 years... I hope!

[Texarkandy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by laurence Some people lost more than a million? Wow, how many times did you throw up? Then again, with a 40% drop, that only takes a 3 million dollar portfolio...but man, that sucks.

Those folks consolation might be in how much of that 3 mil was earned via profits in past markets - whereas the greater percentage of my safer position (nowhere near 3 mil) was put there by me.

[ladelfina]

There's no choice for "have not looked yet"!!!

[Helena]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawg54 Well after the country goes bankrupt and the dollar becomes worthless, we will all be sharing our total loss in a new poll.

If the dollar becomes worthless, we will all have much worse things to worry about...
I'm thinking of that lawless scene in Gone With the Wind when they were escaping from Atlanta.



btw

I have gold, silver and lead too


~

[Helena]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound To Helena, In 2000, there are many millionaires owning stocks of Enron, Global Crossing, and countless other stocks. Granted, the dollar is not going to zero like the above companies - I sure hope not. But, please see my post above. The fat lady has not sung, and when she does, she does for each of us individually. If I had been 100% in cash, I would not make a "victory lap". The race has simply not ended. I wasn't in this forum, when people probably picked on you for going 100% cash. I would not make fun of you, as they did. I think people tend to forget that we come here to exchange ideas, and for me, to also tell some jokes to cheer people up. No matter what other people chose to do with their money, I respect their decision. It's their money after all, no?

Yes I get picked on here all the time... and from time to time...
I get to return the favor... every dog has his day.

People getting ready to retire should not be exposing themselves
and their hard earned money to undue risk... that is why I divested
myself of such before I retired. The younger people here easily have
the "5-10 years" to recoup their losses [after the Great Depression
it took 25 years.] People my age [over 55] and especially retired
people don't have that luxury.

[haha]

When I was a boy I realized that there were two basic postures with respect to assets- to own them, or lend to others so that they could own them.

I figured I would prefer to own them myself. It is more volatile, but also more profitable over a cycle. One has to try hard to exercise skill and restraint so as to not get washed out.

I'm with NW-Bound, who reminds us that this game is not over. For most of us it is at worst half-time.

ha

[DangerMouse]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound Those in 100% cash need to keep more than dollars. Better to diversify to also hold euros, canadian and australian dollars, Swiss Franc, etc... I wonder how many of them are doing that.

Moi, we are in Australian $'s, US$ as well as pound sterling. However, we are only 50% in cash. Before the crash we were at 45% cash, however over the past year we did start selling off our individual US holdings and when the latest down cycle started dumped the rest.

We are probably not hurting as much as others, because we were able to make money on the exchange rate from US$ to Aust$. In July it was nearly 1 to 1, but with the Aussie $ crashing we saw a 40% gain in our money by transferring back to Oz.

I certainly don't feel the need to rub anyone's nose in their losses as there is no enjoyment for me being more on the right side of the equation at this time. I would be happy for things to return to the good old days when we could all rely on a steady 8-10% return from the market.

In the meantime we are leaving our remaining holdings in our 401ks and mutual funds knowing that they will eventually come back.