I didn't say it... but great market lately!

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by haha What we have seen hardly ranks as normal volatility. VIX is down to 16.54 today, on a 52 wk range of 14.86-48.20. What we have is another lemming dash, far less concentrated and extreme than before, but present nonetheless. Ha

An ocean's worth of liquidity is an amazing thing to watch slosh around.

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by freebird5825 Hmmmmmm....nah. He needs a mustache to get my attention.

Ha! I think if I looked like him all my loneliness would be in the past! I might even mix business with pleasure and con a few younger widows.

Ha

[FinanceDude]

Other shoe has not dropped yet..........irrational exuberance is rampant..........

[Moemg]

Everytime I hear the whee word I rush to rebalance .

[misanman]

Total account balances are highest ever so I took some profits earlier today. That will bring my cash balances up to a more comfortable level.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by misanman Total account balances are highest ever so I took some profits earlier today. That will bring my cash balances up to a more comfortable level.

Isn't it great? I love the way my cash balance has replenished itself after buying more of a bond fund a while back.

Even my dividends for the first three months have been more than they were for last year's first three months (maybe partly due to having more in bond funds).

[Dawg52]

Quote:

Originally Posted by misanman Total account balances are highest ever so I took some profits earlier today. That will bring my cash balances up to a more comfortable level.

I should have, but was out all day. Market will probably open 10% down Monday.

[explanade]

When QE2 ends, will the rug be pulled out from under?

This morning, someone cited some numbers. Govt. intervention added 2% to GDP in 2010, .5% in 2011 and it will add nothing next year.

[Beryl]

I'm a happy camper watching the positive slopes but a little sorry that I rolled over my 401K to an IRA thereby losing my Stable Funds investment option.

[steelyman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R I'm STILL happy. Sorry, folks! My portfolio is larger today than it has ever been, larger than it was when I started this thread. If the market remains as high as it has, with just a little normal volatility as it has shown, I think we all have reason to smile. Never fear! There will always be times when you can logically be miserable over the market, but so far this spring isn't one of them IMO. My guess, for what it's worth, not much, is that you'll probably have to wait for another month or two ("Sell in May and go away") for that.

I was going to reply in this thread earlier this evening noting that this thread only started less than a month and a half ago, but decided to can it.

I've been selling a little bit (on the order of a thousand or two) periodically lately, and may indeed sell in May and go away this summer. My motivation for the selling has been capital preservation (vs. growth). Yes, I know there will be arguments to the contrary, but I am fortunate to have a stable value fund available through a 457 plan that is returning much better than money markets.

[Beryl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steelyman Yes, I know there will be arguments to the contrary, but I am fortunate to have a stable value fund available through a 457 plan that is returning much better than money markets.

Yep. I was in Stable Value from 8/2008 until this month. Rolling it all over has been great financially but I loved the consistent growth that out-paced CDs & Money Markets. Should have left 50%.

[kcowan]

I am still happy sort of on the sidelines. I am heavily invested but I also have a large cash cushion. Whenever I make a transfer without selling, I am happy. And that cushion can keep us going for 3 more years.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcowan I am still happy sort of on the sidelines. I am heavily invested but I also have a large cash cushion. Whenever I make a transfer without selling, I am happy. And that cushion can keep us going for 3 more years.

I just hope that this continues for a while. I'm glad that I'm not the only one who is feeling happy about the market these days.

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beryl I'm a happy camper watching the positive slopes but a little sorry that I rolled over my 401K to an IRA thereby losing my Stable Funds investment option.

Most brokerage houses should have a stable value fund that invests in short-term financial instruments.

However, "Stable Value" funds are not all alike, as my brother found out in the last recession. He lost more than 20% in his "Stable Value" fund at Schwab, before he realized it and sold. The fund invested in some high-yield harebrained subprime deals, if I remember correctly.

He was busy with his work and did not look at his accounts everyday like I do. Even when I was RV'ing into the boondocks, I made a point of checking all my accounts online at least every 3 or 4 days.

[chinaco]

We will see what happens in a few months when QE II ends.

Employment numbers seem to be improving a little.


We are at 50/50. most of the fixed is in stable value, STB Idx, some TIPS, and a lot of cash.

The longer term bonds are in balanced mutual funds.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Isn't it great? I love the way my cash balance has replenished itself after buying more of a bond fund a while back. Even my dividends for the first three months have been more than they were for last year's first three months (maybe partly due to having more in bond funds).

Aha! It wasn't just MY dividends, either! This is good news.

Here is an article, "Dividends Come Roaring Back in 2011" that talks about this.

[eytonxav]

LOL, I just updated my port earlier today and its continues to be at an all time high (keeps making new highs each week), and I keep thinking each Monday will probably be the start of a correction. Then I saw this thread and guess I am not alone in feeling that the next shoe is about to drop. Nevertheless, I am a bit more optomistic about the economy/recovery, but still holding about 30% in cash.

[steelyman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound Most brokerage houses should have a stable value fund that invests in short-term financial instruments. However, "Stable Value" funds are not all alike, as my brother found out in the last recession. He lost more than 20% in his "Stable Value" fund at Schwab, before he realized it and sold. The fund invested in some high-yield harebrained subprime deals, if I remember correctly. He was busy with his work and did not look at his accounts everyday like I do. Even when I was RV'ing into the boondocks, I made a point of checking all my accounts online at least every 3 or 4 days.

That is true about Schwab. I think charges were brought against them (maybe by the SEC?).

And Invesco (the company where my stable value is held) lost some value - on the order of a percent or two - during the pits of the financial crisis, but that was restricted only to employees of Lehman Bros. I gather than was due to problems with the wrap contracts and the insurers of them.

[Ready-4-ER-at-14]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Aha! It wasn't just MY dividends, either! This is good news. Here is an article, "Dividends Come Roaring Back in 2011" that talks about this.

I believe this was due primarily in an IRS tax policy change on dividends.

Dividends used to be huge, but eventually got to be heavily taxed compared to capital gains so over time companies paid less and less.

At one time I read that this popularity was to be short lived but no longer remember the specifics.

[W2R]

I must be having a wonderful dream about the market again this evening! Don't wake me up any time soon...