People are saying keep on buying as it keeps going down. Great time to buy. But for the first time I question this sentiment? Why? Because I think that you have to look deep down and see will you panic? If the market drops another 10-20% or more will you immediately hit the panic button and sell. Will you reach out and catch the falling knife as the market starts to drop rapidly? If we go into a depression can you withstand the pain of watching newly invested money drop even more?
Right now? I can't. I can sit tight and not withdraw any more money from any of my accounts. I've lost a lot. I've been investing since my 20s. I never sell. I have held stocks from 2000. DH and I have original investments in ETF as well as things like paypal and google in our roth. We've never sold. We've never sold a share of certain stocks and ETF like VOO we've owned now for 20+ years. Our tech investments have 100x. We literally have held it through all the markets.
But in 2006-2010 we were buying in our 401k on the way down and on the way up. We maxed out our 401k since 2005 and Roth IRAs. We've plowed money into our taxable brokerage. DH's 401k at his old job we left literally in the same investment 75% VOO and 25% Index International since 2021 February when he left. We weren't able to add, but we could change. We've left it. We have invested our 401k since then.
I don't believe in changing the course. I believe in staying the course. Once invested that money isn't for me to spend until retirement. It's gone to the market.
I've invested the kids in VOO since birth and reinvested the divedends and never sold a share since i started buying for them in 2012 and 2010. I just buy more every time I add to the ESA $2k or the 529. Nothing. They own only VOO and QQQ and APPL as a gift. I've never sold APPL either. One kid went from $600 (2 shares) appl to $12k in 15 years (61 shares).
If I need money it's in a money market/treasury bonds, etc. That I do keep cash on hand. So I look long term. But this time, I am afraid. I'm actually afraid of putting money in and feeling a sinking feeling my stomach as I watch it go down. Yes it will go up long term, but do I need to feel that bad in 6 months or could I just be like well in 6 months if it's even lower I'll be going sure it's time to start buying again?
I guess for me another part of it is that I'm so heavily invested at this point that maybe that's another reason I am holding back. Do I need to keep to my 90% stock portfolio? Where do you stand?
April 22nd, 2025 at 09:10 am 1745313023
April 22nd, 2025 at 10:13 pm 1745359986
My Dad thinks 35,000.
Of course, a lot of crazy stuff could bring it down further.
I keep thinking Congress will ntervene, but that is based on nothing but hope.
Follow your gut but don’t panic sell either…
April 23rd, 2025 at 10:02 am 1745402568
And they sure didn’t waste any time presenting a bill to allow Trump to run or a 3rd term!
I hope I will be wrong about this though. Somebody has to stop him, or at least try to slow him down. Even the Supreme Court has passed down judgements (regarding the mistakened deportee) that Trump has decided to conveniently ignore.
I apologize for this political commentary, but it’s like people have taken crazy pills for the Purge night at the clown show right now.
April 23rd, 2025 at 04:48 pm 1745426893
I am retired and I think I am pretty well set because I don’t think that those of us receiving Social Security/Medicare will lose it out right - lose some benefits and access to service yes, but the money will come through.
But I could be wrong.
I have diversified IRA and investments in with some very safe funds, but a full wreck could take us all down.
I don’t know what younger people should do except pay off credit card debt and live below their means. If they end FDIC, even money in banks won’t be safe.
April 24th, 2025 at 09:35 pm 1745530516