Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The article said "Towns and Cities" and made a clear distinction so as not to include States.
Robin55 mentioned State of Georgia Bonds
I think the State of Georgia bonds are solid - today. Still - I think a bond portfolio ought to be pretty diversified because who knows what things will be like in 5-10 years? Robyn
Sorry I asked a question in the middle of a personal arguement. Whew...
Any particular reason your money is still in the 401k (sounds like it is)? Why not roll over into a self-directed IRA?
FWIW - I don't think there's a need to slice and dice so fine with equities (like small cap growth and small cap value). Wouldn't 2 or more of these 5 large ETFs give you just about everything you're looking for:
SPY, DIA, MDY, QQQ, IWM
Except for international equity/bond exposure (I don't do the former and recommend individual bond holdings instead of bond funds).
Keep in mind that over 50% of equity fund/ETF performance is based on market performance - about 25% on sector performance - and less than 25% on individual stock performance. IOW - most things tend to go up or down at the same time. Robyn
Looks like there isn't any place where one can just park your retirement and not worry about it?
Through the years, the 401k people would come in and spout the company line saying if you want to succeed in retirement, nothing beats regular pay check deductions into one of their mutual funds... it's painless, automatic and the funds are managed by the most qualified and experienced individuals in the country...
You know what... when the market tanked... the 401k administrator stopped sending people and for 3 years no one came by till last month...
They had the big charts showing those that stayed the course are on the road to recovery and those that increased 401k contributions are ahead...
You would have thought they would have come by when the crisis was in full bloom to let us know that... wonder why they didn't.
Looks like there isn't any place where one can just park your retirement and not worry about it?
Through the years, the 401k people would come in and spout the company line saying if you want to succeed in retirement, nothing beats regular pay check deductions into one of their mutual funds... it's painless, automatic and the funds are managed by the most qualified and experienced individuals in the country...
You know what... when the market tanked... the 401k administrator stopped sending people and for 3 years no one came by till last month...
They had the big charts showing those that stayed the course are on the road to recovery and those that increased 401k contributions are ahead...
You would have thought they would have come by when the crisis was in full bloom to let us know that... wonder why they didn't.
I think you're quite right. I worry a lot these days - and have more money in cash than I can ever remember (not that cash is a huge % of our portfolio even today - but I want at least a year of spending in cash). Forgive me for the culturally insensitive remark - but I feel like the cowboys surrounded by the indians. If it's not the metaphorical meltdown in public finance in the US - it's the metaphorical meltdown in the middle east - or the very real possibility of a real meltdown in Japan.
FWIW - my husband and I got out of school right before the Big Recession in '73-'74 - so we figured we had nowhere to go but up. And that was true - for a couple of decades. But now - I don't know. Things are a lot different now than they were in the 70's. Robyn
I think you're quite right. I worry a lot these days - and have more money in cash than I can ever remember (not that cash is a huge % of our portfolio even today - but I want at least a year of spending in cash). Forgive me for the culturally insensitive remark - but I feel like the cowboys surrounded by the indians. If it's not the metaphorical meltdown in public finance in the US - it's the metaphorical meltdown in the middle east - or the very real possibility of a real meltdown in Japan.
FWIW - my husband and I got out of school right before the Big Recession in '73-'74 - so we figured we had nowhere to go but up. And that was true - for a couple of decades. But now - I don't know. Things are a lot different now than they were in the 70's. Robyn
As a newly minted Engineer... things looked very bleak in 1982. In California, unemployment was then at the highest level since the Great Depression. (Some California Counties report unemployment's of 25% currently)
I have, maybe 5% in the market... if that.
My own record on individual stocks is close to a wash, still being on the negative side and the little 401k has not recovered.
When Charles Schwab opened his ONE account... I dove right in... thought I was smarter then everyone... mostly Bay Area Tech Firms... many of which no longer exist
Thankfully, I started building equity the old fashioned way in Real Estate... as long as people need housing, I should be fine.
I've told the bank with the last round of fee increases that I was considering closing my account... they said they would make an exception... little did then know, I was not posturing.
My words were something to the effect, "I would get more enjoyment stuffing my mattress than the next to nothing returns in interest"
Thought the credit union was a good place to be... interest was 1%, liquid and they paid 3% on the first 25k... this too has changed recently...
So inflation is coming and rates are dropping???
I remember getting 12.5% on 6-month t-bills back in the day...
When my first niece was born in 2001, I bought ten $5 US gold coins for $37.50 each to cover birthdays and Christmas gifts... couldn't see buying some junk that no one would later remember anyway... ten years later, the coins gold value is around $150 each and some advertise prices as high as $299 on Home Shopping Network.
Last edited by Ultrarunner; 03-27-2011 at 04:56 PM..
I think you're quite right. I worry a lot these days - and have more money in cash than I can ever remember (not that cash is a huge % of our portfolio even today - but I want at least a year of spending in cash). Forgive me for the culturally insensitive remark - but I feel like the cowboys surrounded by the indians. If it's not the metaphorical meltdown in public finance in the US - it's the metaphorical meltdown in the middle east - or the very real possibility of a real meltdown in Japan.
FWIW - my husband and I got out of school right before the Big Recession in '73-'74 - so we figured we had nowhere to go but up. And that was true - for a couple of decades. But now - I don't know. Things are a lot different now than they were in the 70's. Robyn
Shift happens and thats why understanding the Shift is important to planning your financial future. You understand the risks and rewards that are out there in the world today. The one good thing is that most modern tyrants want to be part of the global economy. The guy with the long beard who at times has lived in caves is a major exception.
I think you're quite right. I worry a lot these days - and have more money in cash than I can ever remember (not that cash is a huge % of our portfolio even today - but I want at least a year of spending in cash). Forgive me for the culturally insensitive remark - but I feel like the cowboys surrounded by the indians. If it's not the metaphorical meltdown in public finance in the US - it's the metaphorical meltdown in the middle east - or the very real possibility of a real meltdown in Japan.
FWIW - my husband and I got out of school right before the Big Recession in '73-'74 - so we figured we had nowhere to go but up. And that was true - for a couple of decades. But now - I don't know. Things are a lot different now than they were in the 70's. Robyn
its one black swan after another disrupting the markets as long as i can remember. i started as an investor back in 1987 two weeks before the crash. there has never been a moment i can think of where something not even on the radar wasnt lurking ready to pounce... its like im almost getting used to this crap.
things are very different today and i just said to my wife we are blessed with retiring into one of the ugliest pictures i can ever remember. we dont even have the cushion of cash and bonds to help repair a down portfolio... as you said its a very different world out there and im still searching thru financial products still trying to find the best work around for us..
its one black swan after another disrupting the markets as long as i can remember. i started as an investor back in 1987 two weeks before the crash. there has never been a moment i can think of where something not even on the radar wasnt lurking ready to pounce... its like im almost getting used to this crap.
things are very different today and i just said to my wife we are blessed with retiring into one of the ugliest pictures i can ever remember. we dont even have the cushion of cash and bonds to help repair a down portfolio... as you said its a very different world out there and im still searching thru financial products still trying to find the best work around for us..
Maybe, financial products are not the answer?
Have you thought about running for political office?
I know the benefits have tightened... some were getting lifetime care and stipends for a few years of part-time work.
Local Hospital Districts voted that all members of the Board receive full medical coverage... the charter requires one meeting a month... they also receive $400 plus expenses per month.
Maybe the classic definition of retirement isn't in your future?
I think the article is disingenuous... a lot of what you have in 2011 is based on how much you put in and WHEN you put it in... looking at investments I made in the past decade (10 years, NONE of them are back to the break even point)... NONE means it is currently at a loss AND all the extra gains it earned through the years (+20%) is also LOST...... now if you look at investments I made DURING the recession, they have all greatly increased in value... so much it it goes beyond what I lost during the last ten years but that is in NEW investments... the OLD investments still have substantial losses... investments made EARLIER then 10 years show gains because stocks were substantially cheaper back then and it didn't drop to those levels therefore they weren't total losses... so basically the recession WIPED OUT 6-8 years of gains that will never come back again... that is little to rejoice about...
I think the article is disingenuous... a lot of what you have in 2011 is based on how much you put in and WHEN you put it in... looking at investments I made in the past decade (10 years, NONE of them are back to the break even point)... NONE means it is currently at a loss AND all the extra gains it earned through the years (+20%) is also LOST...... now if you look at investments I made DURING the recession, they have all greatly increased in value... so much it it goes beyond what I lost during the last ten years but that is in NEW investments... the OLD investments still have substantial losses... investments made EARLIER then 10 years show gains because stocks were substantially cheaper back then and it didn't drop to those levels therefore they weren't total losses... so basically the recession WIPED OUT 6-8 years of gains that will never come back again... that is little to rejoice about...
The article doesn't claim anything about 1999 or any measurement prior to the October high in 2007.
Quote:
Nine in 10 of the popular retirement plans are at least back to where they were in October 2007, the peak of the stock market. Since the bull market began in March 2009, stocks have almost doubled.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
