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Old 05-11-2020, 07:23 AM   #21
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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.
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Old 05-11-2020, 07:25 AM   #22
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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.
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Old 05-11-2020, 07:25 AM   #23
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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.
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Old 05-11-2020, 07:30 AM   #24
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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.
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Old 05-11-2020, 07:34 AM   #25
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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.
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Old 05-11-2020, 07:34 AM   #26
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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.
Where are you seeing these threads, street? In these forums, or in other places as well?

I think the thing to remember is that all the people who are doing very little, or nothing, with their investments are not posting about it because, well, from their point of view, there is nothing to report. I haven't logged into my investment account and checked my balances since before the downturn began. In fact, I only have the vaguest idea how far the market indices are from the top. The last time I checked, my AA was somewhere in the region of 65/32/3. I only have a rough idea of how much money I have in my portfolio, and that's OK with me.

If this all sounds very cavalier of me, that's not the intent. It's simply that -


1) Some years ago, I decided roughly what I wanted my AA to be.

2) I also decided along the way that I was only going to rebalance if my AA veered wildly from the target.

3) I don't really like trading in my account, so I do it as little as possible. I usually only do it at the end of each year, when I sell whatever I need in order to generate my income for the next year.


I just don't think about my investments a lot. I've been concentrating on my hobbies of short wave listening, ham radio, fiddling around with my camper van, and helping my best friend with production tasks for her radio show. Oh - and hanging out with and looking after my kitties. That's not a hobby though - that's something more important. Life is good
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Old 05-11-2020, 07:35 AM   #27
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Staying the course. Need a poll .
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Old 05-11-2020, 07:43 AM   #28
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Staying the course. DW and I each have an ira with an fa, and he recommended going more into equities right after the first drop. We did and are holding around 45/45/10.
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Old 05-11-2020, 07:47 AM   #29
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...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.

We also are sticking by our financial plan. Our plan allows asset allocation to vary from 60/40 (when we want "safety") to 90/10 (to allow buying into "major" corrections). Any increase in allocation requires we have 3 years of expenditures covered by cash / bond funds. The market drop brought our allocation to 47/53. We purchased three index funds to bring allocation up to 80/20. At the times of purchase each was off their highs by 20 to 33%. Now we go to sleep for a couple years and see how things work out.
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Old 05-11-2020, 07:48 AM   #30
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Never hurts to have a thread to help us stay the course. It helps me.
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Old 05-11-2020, 07:49 AM   #31
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Folks making a big change will often post here, perhaps looking for some validation. Those who are standing pat don't often post. Just looking at posts can give a skewed of how most are behaving.


PS. I haven't sold anything and have no plans to do so.
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Old 05-11-2020, 07:50 AM   #32
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Having been through these since the excitment of 1987, I have found that staying the course in each one makes the next one easier. We were 75/25 prior to the current excitement and in a year or three will probably be back there again. I haven't even recalculated AA since January becuase it doesn't matter to us. Our fixed income side can carry us for probably 4-5 years; longer maybe since international travel will not be an option for a while.
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Old 05-11-2020, 07:51 AM   #33
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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).
Wow....where did you find 3% CD's??
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Old 05-11-2020, 07:56 AM   #34
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Navy Credit Union. Not available now though as far as I know.
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Old 05-11-2020, 07:58 AM   #35
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We had been sitting on cash dedicated to the market for about a year, watching as it could have been making bigus buckus. Finally bought VTI with it end of February to mid-March. We watch our stocks on Morningstar and record balances daily, along with tracking card and bank balances in Quicken. That is good (?) for us, as it inures us to multi-thousand dollar changes. We continue to be heavy in cash, which makes remarkably little but gives a sense of security. No pensions or annuities, tiny SS benefits, but we feel pretty good about being able to finish the race.
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Old 05-11-2020, 08:04 AM   #36
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Staying the course. We were 40/60 but losses made it about 35/65 as we keep individual dividend paying stocks. Many cuts in dividends what was expected in bear market.
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Old 05-11-2020, 08:11 AM   #37
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Staying the course. Need a poll .
I see two current er.org threads - one focused on staying the course while the other discusses getting out of the market.

I agree that a poll would be good … anyone want to start one? Whenever someone starts a poll - folks will inevitably complain about the wording of the poll or the choices. So, good luck to whoever takes this on.
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Old 05-11-2020, 08:14 AM   #38
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Originally Posted by Earl E Retyre View Post
I see two current er.org threads - one focused on staying the course while the other discusses getting out of the market.

I agree that a poll would be good … anyone want to start one? Whenever someone starts a poll - folks will inevitably complain about the wording of the poll or the choices. So, good luck to whoever takes this on.
Maybe we could first do a poll about whether somebody should do a poll.
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Old 05-11-2020, 08:19 AM   #39
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Staying the course. Our last major buy-in was DJ at ~16,000. I don't know where else to go. We're not creative or risky. Our comfort zone is where we are, so no changes. Also, pension at 65 and SS at 70 helps (actually covers our spending habits).
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Old 05-11-2020, 08:26 AM   #40
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I went with a strategy first investment approach to remove as much of the emotion as possible. I use a bucket system overlaying Kitces' rising equity glidepath.
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