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Dealing With the Terror of a Falling Stock Market

FALLING MARKET

SUPPLY MANAGMENT
DOD
Thu Feb 7, 2008 9:07 AM

Post Reply

Who has a year of money set aside in todays times!
Get real.

Re: FALLING MARKET

DoD Accounting
DoD
Thu Feb 7, 2008 10:56 AM
To Mr. Get Real,

I am retired enlisted family of six with at least ten years of backup salary, it's called live within your means. It can be done, I have proved that. Thank you.

Re: FALLING MARKET

IT Specialist
USDA
Thu Feb 7, 2008 8:20 PM
anybody who is smart does. I have at least 1 year's worth in cash reserves.

Re: FALLING MARKET

Attorney
DOJ
Sat Feb 9, 2008 7:39 PM
I have studied the markets for years and have made serious money doing so. Here is my advice in this market right now: "BUY." Yes, BUY big now---and BUY equities ( that's C/S/I) Go for at least 20% in "I" to catch the play on the falling dollar. Include at least 30% each in "C" and "S." Forget bonds unless you are within 5 years of retirement and then only hold a max of 40% in a combination of the "F" and "G" funds. You must accelerate your payments of any TSP loans and promise yourself never to take a TSP loan again--ever. And best advice of all: "WAIT." Wait patiently as the markets churn. Markets always churn and then go higher--have done so for over 200 years--yes 200 years--historical data exists going back to late 1700s in America. Best idea, set your asset allocation and then don't even look at the markets for the next 6 months. Stay off the TSP web-site. I mean it--don't look. Do all of this and YOU WILL MAKE MONEY. Do it for 10+ years and make big money.

Re: FALLING MARKET

Thorn in the Side
DOD
Thu Apr 24, 2008 10:11 AM
DOD Accounting:

Keep in mind that if you are "retired enlisted" and in "Accounting" in DOD, you have two presumably half-decent incomes; not everyone does.

Buy

Contracting Officer
SSA
Thu Feb 7, 2008 9:36 AM

Post Reply

The way i see, the stock market is having a sale. Now's the time to plow more money in to it. Of course, if you're near the end of your career, you should have been directing your funds toward more stable avenues several years prior to.

60%C; 20%I; 20%S...and 12 years to go, but more likely 16 for added comfort!

Happy investing!

TSP F Funds

Forester
USDA FS
Thu Feb 7, 2008 9:48 AM

Post Reply

Can you provide some discussion on theTSP F Fund. Should one keep these if you have them or should one be looking at converting them to the C, S, or I funds now while these funds may be a good buy?

Re: TSP F Funds

Contracting Officer
SSA
Thu Feb 7, 2008 12:30 PM
Historically, the F fund is going to return about 1 to 2% above the inflation rate. so, in reality, you're return is about 1 to 2% a year. I'll pass on that until i get closer to retirement...much closer. Compared to historical returns of the C, I and S fund, it's a no brainer if you have the time.

Date you will use your TSP Funds

Retired
CSRS Retiree
Thu Feb 7, 2008 10:40 AM

Post Reply

Remember, it is the date when you want to start to using your TSP funds and not the date of retirement (although they could be the same dates). As you get closer to that use date the more money you should be moving funds into the G fund and out of the riskier funds. The L funds do this for you. In the short term, you may not have time to recover from drops like we are having now. In the long term, odds are with the riskier funds/markets rising. When you move to the G Fund and how much is each individual's feeling about the risk he/she is willing to take.

Limit the TSP moves

Told you so
Treasury
Thu Feb 7, 2008 10:40 AM

Post Reply

I hope all of the people that advocated we should all be investing for the long term and to limit the moves in and out of the tSP funds are enjoying the freefall. I am enjoying the 4% I already made this year.

Re: Limit the TSP moves

IT Specialist
USDA
Thu Feb 7, 2008 8:24 PM
Yeah, and if we could all accurately predict the future of the stock market, we'd all be billionaires.

Re: Limit the TSP moves

Told you so
Treasury
Mon Feb 11, 2008 11:49 AM
response to IT re If we could all accurately predict the future of the stock market, we'd all be billionaires.

The point is you don't have to sit there and take the big losses. You can make money in a bear market if you make judicious moves. You don't have to predict the market. You just have to look at the sheep lining up to get sheared.

Stick to your best

Contracting Specilist
DoD AF
Thu Feb 7, 2008 10:44 AM

Post Reply

You need to quit giving financial advice obviously you are not qualified as a financial advisor and stick to what you do best promote your pet "NSPS" and slaming non supervisory employees.

Re: Stick to your best

hr specialist
dod agency
Thu Feb 7, 2008 3:38 PM
Your bile and venom is disheartening. I enjoy the articles; the site is completely free; and you are griping because you don't like a point of view? Perhaps you should read Mr. Gilson's article here on the site today and learn how to whine more effectively.

Re: Stick to your best

manager
usda
Thu Feb 7, 2008 3:42 PM
Did you have a point or just want to gripe and whine? I thought the article gave some good advice-some of my colleagues could certainly benefit from it as they have watched their TSP dwindle why they tried to trade their way to instant riches. I hope fedsmith will keep up the good work and ignore those that like to complain and whine (a common problem in the federal workplace as Mr. Gilson has pointed out) while providing the many readers with valuable advice and insights as we enjoy the site.

WHY BUY & HOLD?

physcial scientist
DOI
Thu Feb 7, 2008 11:24 AM

Post Reply

The stock market has been in a downtrend starting last november thru december and thru January and now into February... My question is what have you been waiting for? It was pretty obvious last november that both the economy and the market was headed for big trouble...why risk your tsp especially if you are close to retirement...The F fund has gained about 9% during last 12 mos. which is far better than the CSI funds. Of course, now that the FRTIB has prohibited moving money around these funds, one may be stuck with a given allocation for a long time.

Re: WHY BUY & HOLD?

Manager
IRS
Thu Feb 7, 2008 8:29 PM
I guess with 20/20 hindsight, it's pretty easy to say that the current correction was "obvious" so we all should have been able to avoid it. If investing were that simple, we wouldn't need the TSP funds!

Re: WHY BUY & HOLD?

Analyst
DOD
Fri Feb 8, 2008 7:29 AM
No, physical scientist, it was not obvious that the market was headed for big trouble. You can say anything you want in hindsight after it's already happened.
Total Comments: 21
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