Anyone looked at their 401-K/IRA these days? How's it going?

Should we still keep supporting BANK BAILOUTS and our President/Congress's Programs?

How are Ya Doing after all the Machinations and Interventions (Bailouts and Give Aways to Wall St. and Banksters?

Or...do you figure you're YOUNG, EMPLOYED ...and have YEARS TO GO so you don't give a damn?

:shrug:

:sarcasm:

:hide:

what changed? and do we know what will change in two more weeks? And then what?
Will 401Ks not matter once again? :shrug:



























:rofl:

*

very well. I remember some analyst saying..."Invest in the stuff you don't agree with..and use the money you make in it to Invest for YOUR CAUSE!"

If I'd invested in these dirty stocks...then I'd give to the causes fighting against them. Good Advice!

they're where you direct them to be, at least with 401K's. Try to avoid being a riverboat gambler, and you'll keep most of your money.

level as 6 months ago, actually a couple of bucks down.

I did...and I'm in "high quality dividend." Not pretty...and since I'm not a trader...it's what I'm stuck with after re-positioning after the '08 Crash.

Amazing...but (after I'm dead) it will all be worth MILLIONS! :-D "Buy Quality and Hold"...

:D

and i'm also pretty sure that i never said anything even remotely like that.

but then, I'm into money market funds in one 401K, and bond funds at the one from my previous employer. No, I'm not going to get rich overnight, but I'm not likely to lose my ass that quickly, either.

most of my mutual funds are right were I bought them 15 years ago. I bought gold coins and stock when it was at $640 and a bunch of Ford at $1.82. Lots of CDs that chip away at a couple of percent.

If you could go "Indie" you might have done something better if you were glued daily to Bloomberg and other Financial News Site.

I don't know how young folks with family responsibilities could devote enough time to be able to deal with the markets as they are now.

Or, maybe you have high enough money income you can just give it to a "Money Manager" to invest for you...and if you were lucky enough to pick a good one...you are okay..

I think the bailouts worked great. Without them most of us would likely be standing in soup lines.

It's a 403-k, really. And I got in at the bottom. So my returns look fantastic.

If you paid attention, for Bush's first 6 years, the DOW stayed in a range between about 10,500 and 11,500.

Then it shoots up for no reason and blows through 13,000. That was the time to take some gains because the market had jumps so much, so fast.

Then the DOW collapses. Past 11,000, 10,000, 9,000, 8000, 7000 ... 6500.

The time to get back in was somewhere around the 8k mark.

I'm actually very surprised that the DOW revovered back up past 11k so fast. And not at all surprised that we've seen some correction.

But look where we are ... right back on the low side of that same running average of 10,500 to 11,500.

Which means even if you sat still, your 401k is right back roughly where it would have been with no bubble and collapse.

and again ... the key thing to pay attention to is that running average. Even when you take the bubble and burst into account, that running average is STILL roughly in that 10.5k to 11.5k range. We've spent the last 10 years basically flat.

If you sold when we got above 13k, you made money, if you sold after we passed through 10,500, you lost money. If you bought after we dropped through say 9000, you made money.

So let's say the drop continues the current correction ... if it gets to say 8.5k, start buying like crazy.

When the DOW hit 10,500 in Dec, I rebalanced some because we'd just had the largest run up in a very very long time. From 6500 to 10,500 ... on the way to a recent high of 11,500.

The original post attempts to suggest that the bailouts did not help your 401k recover. Clearly, the bailouts and the stimulus DID help it recover. I don't see how one can expect Obama to have magically pushed the DOW to a higher running average within 1 year of the low of 6500. Can you??

I'm impressed that we actually reached the upper bound of 11.5k as fast as we did.

Now, I won't be surprised if it bounces around for another year or so ... and I won't be surprised if by the end of Obama's first term, the DOW is a little above 11.5k given recent projections for this years GDP and job rates. But I'll be watching that on a very regular basis ...

Much like I rebalanced when we hit 10,500 in Jan, others are doing that right now. And I bet some are setting their buy button at 10k

you must not do the grocery shopping for your family.

be able to "plot charts" and can't get into the math of all that. Many here are struggling to survive where they are and are in "forced 401-K's/IRA's" where they have little choice because their Company either doesn't provide choice or they don't have the time to research.

What about THEM? :shrug:

Tracking the running averages of the DOW, or any index, takes less time then posting on DU.

I will agree that some companies provide pathetic 401 or IRA plan's ...

But that is not Obama's fault ...

If your investment plans, 401k or other, include the DOW, the S&P, Vangard, or other index based funds .. you should be happy with Obama.

If your company provides a crappy 401k plan ... yell at them.

:D

all those people just hitting 60 are back in business again.

I changed jobs voluntarily in June 2009. At some point I became eligible to participate in my new employer's plan, but haven't gotten a round tuit.



I have probably missed out on some of the best buying opportunities I'll ever see. Not the end of the world, but I could have done better.

The stock market was one beacon of hope in this awful economy.
Now that is also going down.

since market (SPX) is down from 1250 down to 1075 (500 largest capitalized
corporations in US) or about 14%. I can guarantee almost all portfolio's are down
this month and you will see that in your end of month statement. The only
exception is gold & other precious metal portfolio's.

But I am still ahead compared to Bush years since I was mostly in cash during 2009.

Do you TRADE or are you a FIXED Buy and Hold...and are you forced into 401-K's/IRA's...or are you an Individual Investor?

So, pretty fucking good.

...went to cash three weeks ago when it became apparent the Greek situation was going to be a very big deal...

had to do something for the "Long Term."

Are you a TRADER? If you have stuff stuck in the 401-K/IRA...you can't always easily move to CASH when you want to. For some Plans you would take a big haircut or even "not be allowed" to move your money.

Congress needs to address this lack of Mobility ...SOON!

...some are much better than others..

Correct? :shrug:

My Vanguard Roth IRA has recouped everything and is now going strong. But my 401k still hasn't gotten back to early-2008 levels. I'm constrained by which funds my money can go into, so even using a financial advisor hasn't helped my 401k. I'm staying in, though, hoping for retirement in 10 years.

since President Obama took office. A bit off the peak over the last week. I was up a little more than 60 percent last week, but all in all, I am doing just fine thanks.

.

It worked. I still have a job too. Thansk Obama.

After the dramatic drop in the Spring of 09, my monthly check dropped by $120. I just received a letter informing me that for June 10-June 11, my check will increase by $80 because of the value regained in my CREF Social Choice account.

Your 401 is fucked no matter who runs the country. Just keep living and you will see.

IT AINT GONNA GET NO BETTER.

So, whats your diabolical plan to save the US economy?