[JoelJohnson]

Those that don't want to be in the market, already made their money and don't want to lose it (not a bad call), those of us that still need to get enough to retire are looking at making enough so we don't have to be in the market too.

[quirky3]

The sky is not falling. Just sayin'.

[JourneyOfLife]

We do not try to time the stock market. We use a strategic allocation and rebalance every year or so to the target allocation.

For the most part, we use low cost mutual funds

[rubicon]

The bigger concern for me are bonds based solely on the fact that the Fed by its QE is upsetting the balance . Interests rates will have to rise and when it does unless the Fed has a good plan it will play havoc with the bond market. In addition the Fed's QE attempts continue to deprive people of fixed income tools such as CD's, etc. The stock market leaps arr all water driven by the Fed's action because it is not based on factual and stable events.

[batman911]

Originally Posted by rubicon

The bigger concern for me are bonds based solely on the fact that the Fed by its QE is upsetting the balance . Interests rates will have to rise and when it does unless the Fed has a good plan it will play havoc with the bond market. In addition the Fed's QE attempts continue to deprive people of fixed income tools such as CD's, etc. The stock market leaps arr all water driven by the Fed's action because it is not based on factual and stable events.

You will be somewhat protected if you buy individual short or mid-term bonds and notes. You can just hold these until maturity and get all your capital back at maturity plus the interest specified on the bond/note. The danger is in bond mutual funds where the value of the investments drops when interest rates rise.

[rubicon]

Originally Posted by batman911

You will be somewhat protected if you buy individual short or mid-term bonds and notes. You can just hold these until maturity and get all your capital back at maturity plus the interest specified on the bond/note. The danger is in bond mutual funds where the value of the investments drops when interest rates rise.

batman: thank you for your comments. WSJ also offers investors similar suggestions. There ws a time when one could build a ladder utilizing short term paper. I did with5 year TIPS to be used in conjunction with purchasing a needed vehicle when I retired some 7 years ago.

My RMD period is advancing and I intend to move around some funds to update my strategy.

Thanks again.

PS Bernake is still getting on my nerves.

[laddan]

Originally Posted by 2BNTV

Count me as someone who thinks you can't time the market in terms of you get out when their might be a dip in the overall value and get back in when it's at it's lowest. Maybe in 2008 when things weren't going so good at the market took a severe hit but I don't see that happening.

Except for the crash in 2008, some people who got out of the market has missed some of the big gains. The market has been doing exceedingly well. One person on Yahoo predicted a 50% drop in the market but I seriously doubt that's going to happen.

I am confused on why you think March 1st is a special event? Please enlighten me.

it is a well know statistical event that the stock market performs best in oct to april months and worse in may to oct. google it sell in may it is a real deal, but does not always have same impact every year, but is a real trend and can make you money, i plan to do it this year, but since i am out of market right now will get in when it dips and wait for the gain in oct to may. the fed has punished savers with 0 interest to pump the stock market and it has worked and will probable keep the markets up for a while longer.

[BarryRX]

Ah yes, the old "sell in May and go away". Every year I wish I had done it but I never do.

[jimmy D]

Sounds to me that you relly own mutuals funds and not indvidual stocks or you would be taking advantage of Obamacare. Health and medical Stocks, hedged with Golf and Dividend paying stock. Think Long Haul with stocks, Mutual funds you can trade within. So do you own Stocks or Mutual funds

[OnTrack]

Originally Posted by coralway

The DOW is up about 63% under this administration.

Actually, it's better than that.

Poke Here

Bouncing back from the Great Recession, the Dow Jones Industrial Average soared 71.7% from January 20, 2009, until Friday, the second best performance under a presidential first term since FDR in 1937, according to Dow Jones.

When Obama took the oath of office, the stock market was severely beaten down, trading at decade lows due to the economic chaos caused by the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

Stock prices initially tumbled on his watch, dropping another 18.6% to as low as 6469 in March 2009 as investors feared another depression.

And if you count the low seen a few months after he was sworn in (due to momentum) ....... it is up over 100%.

Having said that, I don't see stocks continuing the next 3-4 years.....the way they have in the last 4-5 years.



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