Take the dividend ?

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Originally Posted by flatrock

Im inclined to let my spouse play this out for awhile.

Just curious as to how you now feel about this decision. I'm not sure what your spouse's cost basis is in GE, but on 8/11/2008, the closing price was $29.95. It's now (after today's rally) $25.06 and hit a low today of $22.16.

I'm not trying to say "told you so" with this post, just wondering where you were with this.

The one thing that has come through to me with many $ of clarity in this market, is that just about any single security can be quickly taken out and beat to a pulp.

[HobbyDave]

What I hope you don't do is sell now That often happens with those panic decisions. Get in with 33% of your portfolio, it goes down 10% and you sell.

Anyway, I think GE is a good company, will "most likely" do you well, but I agree with everyone else. Your best bet is to come up with a regular strategy of selling quarterly / yearly to unroll that huge position to something more reasonable.

[Milton]

Originally Posted by megacorp-firee

can anyone spell ENRON? Not saying GE is anything like it, but ask the ENRON guys about what they were thinking a year or so before it imploded.

Or BSC, or LEH ... many of their employees owned lots of company stock.

Sounds like you've already been through all this with your wife, though, and she decided against your arguments. So perhaps you'd be well-advised to let it go ... or tread lightly, anyway.

[flatrock]

Spouse has been buying all the way down another 20K. Have temporarily shifted 100% of their 401K deduction into the stock. Plan is to buy until it hits $33 which could be 2/3 or more years. First dividend check comes Oct 27th. Not crazy about it at all but its a 10 yr horizon/plan. If dividend is reduced or eliminated then there will be marital trouble for sure. Heck after 911, my employer plan in diverisifed mutual funds stayed in the dumps for 2 years before I got to even. Dont get me wrong though its not particularly pleasant to watch the stock price plummet but darn sure not gonna sell now.