Is anyone staying the course?

[street]

Wow! With all the threads I have been seeing with this pandemic, it seems a lot have sold or got out of markets. I am surprised by the people bailing from the markets.

Just wondering if any have pretty much stayed the course and going to ride it out or even buying more?

I really don't plan on sell or changing my course at this time. I might someday if things straighten out which maybe years from now.

So, is there any other going to hang in there and stay the course?

 

[target2019]

We are staying the course.

I thought earlier of this bailing, as something that might need a poll.

 

[corn18]

Haven't done a thing. Buying every two weeks into my 401k. AA has drifted from 60/40 to 45/55. During the runup, I had all contributions going to bonds just to keep up with the rise in equities. I haven't changed that so the combo of the drop in equities and contributions going to bonds has put me out of whack. I may fix that or I may continue to do nothing.

 

[freedomatlast]

I don't plan to sell or change my course at this time. Still buying in periodically with dividend reinvestment. I'm following my plan not not changing course based on fear.

 

[RetireAge50]

I have stayed about the same. Moved a few percent from bonds to 3% CD’s because it seemed like what all the cool kids were doing.
No stock selling at all. I got average going in (dollar cost averaging) and I’ll take average going out (whatever that may turn out to be).

 

[WyomingLife]

We are late 50's-ish and basically staying the course. By "basically," I mean that we actually made a few additional targeted equity fund investments a couple of months ago from cash holdings, which could be viewed as trying to time the bottom (which is stupid, I recognize). Our AA is roughly 60/35/5 (I haven't checked for a couple of weeks).

We have a plan, we're sticking with it, and I'm bullish. None of this is to make light of the staggering health and economic situation underway. I just think we will come out of this stronger than before, with more durable systems across the board (health, transportation, etc.). I'm also a believer in science, so would be shocked if the medical profession didn't come up with a vaccine. I may be wrong in these opinions, of course, and likely am. Even so, we are sticking with our plan.

 

[street]

Thanks!!
I was starting to wonder what I was missing and why so many are jumping off the ship. I have no intentions to jump and will buy more as time goes on. I can see some rebalancing and things that are done on a regular bases but to jump because of what is happening, I don't get that thinking.

It is good to see that I'm not the only riding the waves and looking at the long haul and not just what's in front of us.

 

[candrew]

Staying the course. Rebalancing as necessary to our targeted 50/50 AA.

 

[frayne]

Staying the course here, 50/50 AA.

 

[CRLLS]

Been staying the course here too. I was planning on going in 100% if the market dropped -40%. That never happened, so here I sit 78/18/4.

 

[jollystomper]

I am staying the course. Any selling I have done has been balanced by buying, for rebalancing or tax loss harvesting. It is surprising to me that many investors here only look at their portfolios based on the upside of the market and never model what their portfolios would look like if equities fall 50 or 60 percent - and if that was something they could tolerate.

I am currently at 30/46/24 (equities were 60% before retirement, moved to 40% six months before retirement, and moved to 30% during last years gains). We have now 7-8 years of cash. While DW has taken her small SS, I have not yet taken my much larger SS (for which her spousal benefits will be much larger than her own). These current times have only impacted my retirement by reducing the number of things I can spend money on.

I do not need to "beat the market", I am fine with getting below market gains ("hitting singles" in my view) to balance off times like these, when any losses are manageable and will only impact what we choose to leave to our heirs.

 

[jimbee]

Following my plan, staying at 50/50 AA. Have rebalanced to maintain AA twice so far this year.

 

[mrfeh]

Haven't bought or sold anything.

 

[Bryan Barnfellow]

Is there a reasonable and less risky alternative to staying the course? I don't see one.

-BB

 

[target2019]

https://www.fidelity.com/viewpoints/investing-ideas/guide-to-diversification

Onward and upward. After this recession passes, similar articles to above will be written.

 

[Helen]

I have been selling individual stocks and moving them into total stock market fund/ETF for quite a few years now. In 2018 I sold individual stocks but sat on the cash thinking that it was the tail end of the bull market.

I started following the news of the virus in early January and actually took extra cash out of the bank around January 10th because of the virus. I thought there could be a disruption to the banking system.

The weekend before the market started to sell off I found an article on the boglehead forum that talked about the supply chain disruptions in China. By that time the virus was already spreading in Europe.

I sold a bunch more stock, some of it I moved into the total stock ETF and some of it I kept in cash.

I am now sitting on a big pile of dry powder (and a lot of capital gains for the year). I felt we were heading into a recession in 2020 before the virus hit based on mfg data and the inversion of the yield curve. I am baffled as to how the markets are essentially at the level they were last August when we've had all this disruption to the global economies and the end point to the virus appears to be a couple of years away. I don't see anyway the stock market isn't going to tank.

If my portfolio were positioned all in index funds/ETFs I think I would ride it out and do TLH. But for now I like having the cash.

It will be interesting to revisit these threads in a year or two. The threads from the 2008-2009 time period are interesting to reread.

 

[MikeWillRetire]

I'm staying the course, but it's easy for me. 30/70

 

[Lakedog]

Staying the course at around 50/50 AA, although have done a bit of tax loss harvesting.

 

[Midpack]

Wow! With all the threads I have been seeing with this pandemic, it seems a lot have sold or got out of markets. I am surprised by the people bailing from the markets.

There have been a couple threads, how is that “a lot?” “Is anyone staying the course” is over the top.

I suspect most here are mostly or entirely staying the course, but they’re not likely to start a thread on maintaining AA. I haven’t bought or sold anything and don’t plan to. If anything I will increase my equity % AA, but I’m in no hurry, not even looking yet.

 

[vince]

Other than making a AA rebalance, I'm doing nothing but watching. Some of the posts are food for thought, but that's it.
AA 50/50

 

[CaptTom]

Is there a reasonable and less risky alternative to staying the course? I don't see one.

Exactly. If you had predicted this, and gotten out at the top, you'd have a right to brag. Jumping now seems more like locking in losses than anything. That could be totally wrong, but so could any other option.

 

[stephenson]

I fight the impulse to sell every day the market is open.

I've felt this way in earlier times during resets and massive down market days ... but, instead bought when I could, at the bottom. But, I was younger ;-)

I dunno - the market usually has not rewarded selling behavior, but has rewarded holding and buying low behavior. Of course, if you can time top and bottom, you can have both worlds.

 

[jollystomper]

I suspect most here are mostly or entirely staying the course, but they’re not likely to start a thread on maintaining AA. I haven’t bought or sold anything and don’t plan to. If anything I will increase my equity % AA, but I’m in no hurry, not even looking yet.

Perhaps it is the phenomenon I have observed... those who are content and happy in spite of all are much less likely to say anything (or post on the internet), as compared to those who have a complaint or concern.

 

[nobody]

Since I have recently just early retired I was planning on selling taxable stock to hold me over till I get my ESOP from company I worked for to get my 72t setup. With the market drop I put in some calls to buy more VTI but didn't get low even to trigger those events, real close tho. So I have been pulling out from my MM for living expenses and holding off on selling anything.

 

[Franklin]

Actually started increasing my equity exposure 60 days ago. I discussed with a planner and felt we were near the bottom and I did not need the money right away. At present we are 50/40/10 and plan to hold tight for now. None of us know the answer as it is a personal decision based upon one's time frame. Can't find fault with anyones decision just hope we all stay safe.