What are you doing with your money/savings/retirement?

[Big Ticket]

Well, dollar cost averaging does require the market to turn around... but being a retirement account that will definitely happen.  I'm actually very proud of how I played my 401(k).  I sensed this mess coming when the subprime crisis hit in late summer last year and shifted my 401(k) to be about 60-70% bond funds.  Just last week I exchanged all the safe bond shares I'd stored up for the equity funds.  I gained the benefits of dollar cost averaging and avoided an additional 20% loss in performance.

[Schupac]

Wow it is probably my youth speaking here, but many of the terms in this thread seem like another language to me.  And I'm not sure it's one I want to learn.

Anybody want to go in on a commune with me?

[Michael Anthony]

If your young the best thing you can do right now is buy into the stock market while stocks are cheap and then ride it back up.

Example General Motors is at $6.50 somewhere thereabouts just 12 months ago it was around $40 something.

There is allot of good opportunity right now if you just get creative and play wisely.

Remember, you never lose unless you panic and sell, it always comes back.

Now if you are older and closer to retirement you might go ahead and cash in and retire but young people should buy as much as possible. Especially these bigger companies like Ford, GM, General Electric that can be had a bargain prices.

Quality is important in this market, by careful with a company like GM.

Some good company stocks have been underperformed because of the overall trends surrounding them (Think Paul Pierce 06-07), while others have lost a lot of value because they are no longer productive (Think present day Marbury).

[blake]

I would second the fact that you need to be careful with a company like GM.  If you don't have the experience, you probably shouldn't be getting into individual stocks.  Unless you have a whole lot of extra cash, then go for it.  Have fun with it. Otherwise, you should play it a bit more safe and purchase mutual funds. 

Also, someone earlier mentioned disability insurance.  That is absolutely huge in financial planning.  Get some and get it from a VERY good insurer.  There are probably only 3 companies that you should buy a policy from.  Also don't think that just because you have a policy through work that you have enough.  Most policies at work are for 60% of your income.  Then that will most likely be taxed at regular income rates.  So you are looking at less than half of your current income.  Not many of us could get by on half of our income. 

[Big Ticket]

I would second the fact that you need to be careful with a company like GM.  If you don't have the experience, you probably shouldn't be getting into individual stocks.  Unless you have a whole lot of extra cash, then go for it.  Have fun with it. Otherwise, you should play it a bit more safe and purchase mutual funds. 

Word up!! (I work for one of the country's biggest mutual fund families... buy those funds baby!)