How do you feel now? (4 Months later)

[karen1972]

Feeling ok with where I am, I did ROTH conversions and I sold a bunch individual stock,but then bought a bunch, like Tesla sub-$400. I also sold some Wellington near the bottom and bought VTI which I just converted back to Wellington. Some winners, some losers but all in all, I'm comfortable with what I did. I

We had to go into more cash as my BF is on a contract and we found out contracts can only last 2 years and then have to be converted, but there is very little chance his company is going to be hiring full time employees come Nov as hiring is completely frozen now.

My only thought is that you were giving poorer Americans $600 extra a week and they were spending it like gangbusters, you take that away and its just plain and simple going to hurt in the 3rd quarter. This next stimulus is more likely to be saved vs spent as people realize this is it. Alley claimed 35% of their respondents expect to lose their jobs in the next 4 weeks, thats crazy high. I expect the 4th quarter to be tough.

 

[tdv2]

Using this analogy, I plan to invest in public companies again once we determine how much of the tree has been hollowed out by current events. Many seem to believe that there's been no damage by the colonies of termites we've turned loose on the tree.

The best fishing is done in stormy waters.

 

[Live Free]

I have done nothing and will continue on my 70/30 path. Yes, I worry I could lose a lot. But realistically, I'm not tapping my investments for at least 7 years. I'm hoping we are on the other side of this by then. But who knows? It's all a gamble.

 

[COcheesehead]

The best fishing is done in stormy waters.

+1. I can’t tell you how many times I have read on financial forums stories of people who got out, then waited for the all clear, which never comes, there’s always something and they never get back in or get back in at a top because the “market looks like it’s doing well.”

 

[DD4L]

Been through frustrating times with the Dividend Growth strategy rollercoaster, can't lie, especially REIT's. Sold out of every company that reset their dividend and pre-emptively sold a few others. Struggling to see Cracker Barrel and Las Vegas Gaming being as full of our senior populations as they once were so sold out of both, fortunately well in the green.

All big oil positions besides CVX are now sold out too based on the corporate overheads benefit of the work from home model, which I think will stick sufficiently to hit gasoline profits for a protracted time period (months maybe even years). Also sold out of all shopping mall related, just not worth the risk anymore. The Amazon habit also got a boost from the Covid stay at home model.

Portfolio is a lot more Preferred and dividend growth - military, utilities-focused from here, safe and boring. Still dividend growth but more high quality names.

Appetite for big risk/big yield/big reward is well and truly gone.

Sleeping a lot better for it, still no idea what the future holds but choosing not to worry about it.

DD4L

 

[habelsgtb]

Feeling good and excited. Didn’t change our strategy. November (pending COVID-19 spread) we will be heading out on our retirement trip to Florida. It’s been a bit challenging considering the constant flux of things; now looking like cruising won’t happen this year so we are researching for alternatives like USVI or a camping trip.

 

[imnontrad]

I held on for the ride. Some. like Boeing, will take a while to recover but other equities soared (and fortunately most in Roth). So my net worth is only ~1% down. But I'm not using any of my investments (yet) for living expenses anyway.

 

[bluelight]

Feeling ok for today. This is my first full year of retirement. In previous downturns I was always working and retirement was in the future. I admit that I was very nervous in early spring and came close to selling at a small loss. DH was adamant that we stay the course (even though he does nothing with our finances). We did and are actually up from January.

 

[tenant13]

Feeling great except for missing out on Apple rally. I sold about 2/3 of what I held when it bounced back to pre Covid levels. Apple is still 1/3 of my portfolio so I’m up 11-12% for the year but it could have been way more. Oh well... ��* In the meantime I’ve learned how to play with options, diversified with some dividend paying equities/funds (thinking long term) and put some cash into cryptos. Cash went into short term treasuries rollovers at Schwab for now but I’m seriously thinking about moving some of that to a self-directed IRA and investing in rental real estate (not in US though).

 

[ychuck46]

Didn't Sell; the Opposite

I did not change my allocation to stocks and in fact when more aggressively after select stocks that had a good drop in price, either buying them directly and selling covered call options, or selling put options realizing that they would not stay down forever. By holding to my strategy I have made back all the downturn that I initially took in Q1, and I'm approaching my all time high in the bottom line (retired so I don't have work income to artificially raise my bottom line; what you see if what the investments have given me).

 

[brewer12345]

Feeling good and excited. Didn’t change our strategy. November (pending COVID-19 spread) we will be heading out on our retirement trip to Florida. It’s been a bit challenging considering the constant flux of things; now looking like cruising won’t happen this year so we are researching for alternatives like USVI or a camping trip.

Um, really, Florida?

Reads to me like "we are really looking forward to our retirement trip to the Gaza strip!"

 

[seraphim]

Just followed my AA. Considered buying more equity around time the dip bottomed out, but it recovered too quickly.

 

[NoMoreJob]

Did something happen?

 

[slatoid]

After collecting several thousand of TSLA over the past 6 years, I feel great. But was sweating for a while those years when Elon was evidently getting quite high.

 

[tdv2]

Feeling ok for today. This is my first full year of retirement. In previous downturns I was always working and retirement was in the future. I admit that I was very nervous in early spring and came close to selling at a small loss. DH was adamant that we stay the course (even though he does nothing with our finances). We did and are actually up from January.

Panicking and knee jerk reactions typically don't work out well....you did good not liquidating during the middle of the turmoil in March. One thing we can expect for sure, there will be another downturn in the future....the question will be what causes it?, when will it happen?, how long will it last? how deep will it go? unfortunately the answers to these questions are unknowable. Just knowing that it will happen and having an AA that won't derail your retirement should give you the mental calmness to ride it out once again. Personal finance is all about having a good plan and executing it....not about predicting the future and exposing your portfolio to a series of lucky or unlucky guesses.

 

[ArmchairMillionaire23]

Lot of people sold in March or changed allocation strategy by reducing equity exposure. Most did not change their strategy.

How do you feel now about your decision?
If you sold or reduced equities when do you plan to get back in?

I will ask same question end of next month.

I'm fine. I rebalanced back to 60/40 on March 19th or so when I noticed my ratio was 52/48. Since then my accounts have more than recovered and all of them are positive for the year.

 

[racy]

Did something happen?

Now there's a guy that not only stayed the course, but was asleep below deck!

 

[vince]

Portfolio wise I'm doing fine. Basically sticking to a 50/50 investment bucket AA. I did rebalance in April, along with a ROTH conversion. The only real change I've made is to be slowly increasing my cash bucket to four years of expenditures from two. This includes two years of RMD.
I can't help but feel there is just something wrong with this market's valuation.

 

[frayne]

I feel fine. I didn’t sell in ‘87, ‘00 or ‘08 - so asking in a month isn’t likely to change anything. And so far selling off in March was a costly mistake...

+1

 

[ychuck46]

Sounds good to me

Um, really, Florida?

Reads to me like "we are really looking forward to our retirement trip to the Gaza strip!"

I suppose they could have said WA or OR. That would read to me like "we are really looking forward to our retirement trip to 1980s Beirut".

 

[TechLead]

I suppose they could have said WA or OR. That would read to me like "we are really looking forward to our retirement trip to 1980s Beirut".

What? WA has one of the best economies in US. Do you know Amazon or Microsoft?

 

[MichaelB]

This is a very interesting thread topic with lots more to discuss, so hopefully it stays on course.

 

[Kathe555]

I didn't sell, but I've been Dollar Cost Averaging a lump sum since last year. I've increased my monthly contributions from the cash account to speed up the process.

So far, so good.

Lot of people sold in March or changed allocation strategy by reducing equity exposure. Most did not change their strategy.

How do you feel now about your decision?
If you sold or reduced equities when do you plan to get back in?

I will ask same question end of next month.

 

[Vacation4us]

Stayed the course and next paycheck will have the 403b maxed out for the year. Nervous, yes! But staying the course.

I have thought about selling if the election goes to diminished capacity but I will probably be to chicken to do it. I keep reminding myself that I don’t need the money and can’t touch it for at least 6 years after we retire in November.

Portfolio is at an all time ,trying to ignore the roller coaster. Some fear I know is based on the fact that I will no longer be able to contribute to dollar cost averaging the retirement funds.

 

[Lawrencewendall]

July hit a record for me with 3.4k in dividends for the month. I'll keep plowing money in monthly as long as the dividends hold up.