Humpty Dumpty had a great fall and all the King's horsemen could not put Humpty Dumpty back together again.
The Stock Market has had a great fall and all the brokers, CEOs, analysts and politicians have not been able to get it back up again.
Oh, it will go up again, but if history has a way of repeating it will be a long time before we see it at "even". From 1920 to the present there have been 3 major bull markets lasting close to 16 years. Unfortunately, each has been followed by a bear market of about the same length of time. So far we are ending the 3rd year of the projected down cycle with only 13 more years to get to the bottom. It is a long way off.
At a recent investment seminar one of the speakers asked his large audience if they believed the stock market would be higher 5 years from now. Every one except one thought it would be. The current mindset of most investors believes this also. For the period from 1982 to 2000 (18 years, close enough) there has been a bull market. Every investor has considered himself to be a financial genius during that time. There is an old saying, "The market makes fools of us all ? sooner or later".
Unless you learn to listen to what the market is saying and not your broker, you will be able to recoup some of your losses, but probably not all. During this long-term bear called a secular bear market, your main effort will not be to make money but to keep from losing more. During a bear market the one who loses the least is a winner. You may not like what I say, but history has that strange way of doing it over and over.
Maybe I am wrong about it because "this time it is different". I hope so, but you can protect your money in your 401K or elsewhere with a simple loss limit order. Call your broker and have him place a 10% (or whatever number your prefer) stop-loss order on all your positions. That way you don't guess about where to sell; you let the market tell you when it has turned weak.
Brokers and brokerage companies hate stop-loss orders and will try to talk you out of it. Ask him if he will guarantee your portfolio. You can bet he isn't that dumb. It is your money. Once it is gone you will have very little chance of getting it back. Protect what you have left.
Don't be a Humpty Dumpty!
Al Thomas
Author of "If It Doesn't Go Up, Don't Buy It!"
Never lose money in the stock market again.
http://www.mutualfundmagic.com
reliable maid service Highland Park ..The Bollinger Band theory is designed to depict the volatility... Read More
Last time we looked at the real performance of the... Read More
(1) Stock Market is Tough Place to Make Any Money... Read More
I have a 2-car garage. There are nice shelves on... Read More
You have a lock on your house. You have a... Read More
I mean it when I say that. While plastic silverware... Read More
There are so many kinds of work that needs to... Read More
Economists know more about how the fragments of society work... Read More
(1) CHK stock price $16.74, NAV $32.5CHK is my favorite... Read More
You remember (they show it on TV every year) the... Read More
Peter is a professional trader, Paul is not. Peter has... Read More
Before you buy another car you walk around the lot,... Read More
Ever notice how behavior in one area of life can... Read More
The basis of diminishing return discussions surround such simple notions;... Read More
Three little pigs went to the market to stock up... Read More
What does it mean to short a stock?This means that... Read More
When you become interested in a stock or mutual fund... Read More
We are already in it, but you can't see it.... Read More
If you have a pension plan at work you will... Read More
One of the most believed bits of conventional wisdom from... Read More
Ever done any whitewater rafting or canoeing? Long periods of... Read More
Picture one of those clubs where only the real heavyweights... Read More
We all know the expression, "My country, right or wrong",... Read More
People are always asking me when should I sell my... Read More
Have you bought any mutual funds this year or late... Read More
house cleaning company Lincolnshire ..Let me start by saying that...Most online brokers do not... Read More
Ever turn down a street, get half way and suddenly... Read More
The thinking process of the brain relating to the... Read More
People are constantly asking me why is the stock market... Read More
One of the big advertising kicks today from mutual funds... Read More
Two weeks ago I wrote about what the Securities and... Read More
You'd have had to be living on a desert island... Read More
For weeks, no, months we have been bombarded with nothing... Read More
When you become interested in a stock or mutual fund... Read More
Stock investment advice is easy to find. Do you get... Read More
When the stock market is going up and all your... Read More
When we go to the circus we see a trapeze... Read More
You read and hear a lot about hedge funds. Unfortunately,... Read More
For some "long term" would mean holding a stock position... Read More
The stock market has been in an up trend for... Read More
You probably have been told that options are risky. Even... Read More
Carefully thinking through your goal as a trader is of... Read More
Most stock market traders have a favorite technical indicator.The one... Read More
You should ignore analysts on TV, the radio, the newspaper... Read More
You remember the story about the frog that was put... Read More
I continually hear from economists, talking heads, other market letter... Read More
I don't know what kind it is, but I saw... Read More
(1) CHK stock price $16.74, NAV $32.5CHK is my favorite... Read More
Day trading is all about making buy and sell decisions.... Read More
Mutual funds by definition are a mixed bag of stocks,... Read More
Stocks & Mutual Fund |