So the market is almost in bear market territory, in about two weeks it has wiped over two years of gains out. I know most of us here over those two years are still up significantly, which is great, but the volatility we’ve seen over the last couple weeks is pretty mind numbing! And I’m sure it’s absolutely terrifying for new investors just starting out recently.
Today was ugly for those of us in high growth stocks (all stocks, really, but high growth in particular). My portfolio dropped a record in both percentage and absolute dollar amount since the previous record drop back in, oh, let me think…Friday!
I just retired the beginning of this year, planned on living off my investment returns, so how’s that working out for me? I lost more today than I used to make in a year at my job, but honestly I’m not worried, and I’m so much happier!
Don’t feel bad for me, it’s not all bad news. I had to roll my 401(k) over into my rollover IRA recently and it happened to be when my old company stock was at an all time high, so I have a lot of cash available to invest currently (at least 6 years worth of my old salary). And I’ve been doing it! I gained about a 40% cash position when I did the rollover, and over the last couple weeks, invested that probably down to what would’ve been about a 30% cash position, but with the large drops in my equity holdings over that time, the cash position is still at 40%! Tells me I need to buy faster.
So even though the last couple weeks have been painful, I think I’m in a good position and will continue to invest my cash position as long as there are good companies to buy, and I think there are. Hopefully the cash position lasts longer than this downturn.
If you made it this far, here’s the important part, I would never have felt as calm about this drop as I do currently without this board and the amazing contributors who post here. Yes, I’ve lost a lot of money (on paper) over the last couple weeks, that I never planned on losing, but I’ve never felt so confident in my financial future, and in the stocks that I hold in my portfolio.
Thanks, and good luck to us all!