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Good News? TSP Funds Don't Go Down As Much in November as in October

only 7%???

Accountant, Retired, GS 14
DOE, Albuquerque
Tue Dec 2, 2008 10:57 AM

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The S&P is only down 7.18% for the month. OOOOO I'm so impressed!!! Only 43% for the year!!!! Oh, I'm relieved. lol

Re: only 7%???

Civil Servant
VA
Tue Dec 2, 2008 12:53 PM
I'm with you. I might as well LOL because I really feel like crying. I keep hoping for the best...

Re: only 7%???

Diversity Manager
DOL
Wed Dec 3, 2008 6:28 PM
the taxpayer doesn't really care what is happening with TSP. They have a democratic Congress and this to be expected so what if a few people loose their money as long as its for the greater social good

the market

archaeologist
usda fs
Tue Dec 2, 2008 11:49 AM

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I got out of the C and I last January and into F and G. I do not purport to any financial sophistication but looking at the lack of regulation of the US financial markets I felt a train wreck coming with the effects of futures and hedge fund trading, mortgage bundling and gross over reliance on consumer and corporate credit. I asked then what was wrong with getting out of the stock market and into safer investments. I ask that again. It seems that most of your advice is to stay w/the market or jump back in...we're near the bottom. Wish I was in CSRS rather than FERS.

Re: the market

Scientist
DOD
Wed Dec 3, 2008 5:59 AM
I agree. I turned 60 a short while back. I moved to a 80% G F and a 20% C S I in 2007 with a series of dollar cost average steps. However, I am still contributing the same allocation as before these moves to get a little of the low side of the contribution dollar cost average. But I am still down an estimated 7-8% on share holding value as of the end of 2007 and also down in absolute dollar value by 2% compared to dollar holdings at the end of last year. As you can see all the contributions to C S I this year seemed to be sucked away the second they went in. I am now 85%/15% without changing my contribution allocation (40G%,20%C,20%S,20%I). Since I am FERS, this was a good lesson - keep your day job! If this had happened one year later, I might have retired at 60 and then where would I have been today with no new contributions and having to sell shares on the downside instead of buying? It's probably not over and they say it might not recover for years.

Good News? TSP Funds Don't Go Down As Much in Nove

Civil Engineer
USACE
Tue Dec 2, 2008 2:44 PM

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Geeze, this guy is such a suck up to the FTRIB. Can't he write about anything else? The markets suck, Buy and Hold suck and just look at the Lifecyclce returns, they also suck. The best way to ride this out is the G Fund or F Fund. He doesn't have the sense to tell you to protect yourself. If he was such an expert, he wouldn't be shilling for the FTRIB.

Fed -up Fed

market timing

Consumer Safety Inspector
USDA
Tue Dec 2, 2008 2:53 PM

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Trying to time reinvestments would be a great thing if the boneheads at the TSP hadn't decided to disallow daily movement of funds!

Holding Tight in this Bear Market

Purchasing Tech
U.S. Army
Tue Dec 2, 2008 3:34 PM

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I'm holding tight this time (bear market) around, although it's not an easy thing to do. I have lost quite a bit (on paper) in this financial debacle. My hope is that by not moving the greater percentage of my TSP from stocks to Government securities is that the market will regain it's losses over the next 12 years when I'm eligible to retire. One can only hope for the best.

Yes You Can - Yes You Can

engineer
Air Force
Wed Dec 3, 2008 10:20 AM

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You can't make a trip in your car by starting the car, putting it in gear and then say "Well, I'm in this for the long term till we get there, so I'm going to set the cruise control and leave the steering wheel alone until we get there!"

Market timing is a fundamental change in mind set and habit of constantly tweaking the knowledge and working more from proximity than exact points. You don't really drive your car exactly down the middle, but you do stay between the lines, out of the ditches and keep the shiny side up and the rubber side down.

You have to learn enough to weed out the idiots who are in it to get your money. Ten years ago, I donated $40K of 'discretionary funds' from my family finances to learn the hard way.

But today, I'm up nearly 4% for the year discounting contributions.

Be slow, steady, consistent. Watch the current events like the weather.

Get an education.

Investors Business Daily
Technical Analysis for Stock Market
Intelligent Investing

Article on Bill Miller in the WSJ

GOV WORKER
DoD
Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:31 AM

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Check out the article on Bill Miller in the WSJ the Legg Mason guy whom was bucking the "herd" and lost his shirt, and the shirts of investors. I went cash in Oct 07 when all said I was nuts for doing this, and now I am buying C and I funds as they are good bargains. Of course I have a 20+ year time horizon. My Girlfriend followed my same strategy and avoided a 24% loss and was able to have a 16% gain in Long term bonds. Now she is buying. If you have already lost, don't sell now.

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