Quote:
Originally Posted by wheeler08
I just opened this thread for the first time today, and read a few pages.
So here's my story and question
I worked in a factory for 18 years, since the day I turned 18. I put 7% of every paycheck into a 401k, company matched 3-5 % for 3/4ths of that time (It was mind blowing how many co workers didn't put anything in, I tried to convince them to at least do 3% to get the company to match) anyway, I decided in May last year to quit. I moved my family across the state to work for my father in law, with the plan to take his place when he retires.
So I roll over my 401k to an IRA, both at Fidelity. I immediately notice that I have a ton more options in what to invest in with an IRA. Not only are there way more mutual funds to choose from, but from what I think I understand, I can invest in individual stocks if I want to.
So from June to December this past year I only invested $200. Because we were paying all the bills of a house we were trying to sell, plus building a new house where we moved to. With my IRA I gained almost $20k in that 6 months with only investing $200. For the year I gained almost $30k.
I was talking to my Dad the other day, and we both talked about how great our 401k/IRA's had done this year, and he said, yeah but when is the bottom gonna fall out? And I joked that I had thought of moving all my investments to bonds before it happened. And he said he was thinking seriously about doing that, because he's almost 60, I'm only 36. He's already almost lost everything once before from the housing market and he had to see friends work years past retirement because of it.
So thats the question, are you guys worried at all about the bottom falling out, or are you still watching the DOW climb to new heights ever day?
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I'm worried about it. The run can't continue forever, and if it's growing faster than the historical average it'll most likely correct to the historical average over time. That implies a period of underperformance in the future.
I've been trying to figure out a way to diversify for a while now. But what do you buy? Real estate? Collectibles? Real estate seems like a reasonable option, but it also involves work to manage unless you're investing in someone's company, and that makes me nervous for other reasons. I'd ponder collectible things, but I don't know enough about anything to be knowledgeable, so I'd get my lunch eaten.
I could do bonds or something, and I probably should, but they seem to have a limited upside and a high chance of doing little or nothing. I really need to learn more about them and other investment vehicles. I'm pretty much a one-trick pony with stocks.
Therefore, I stay in the market and just hope that the upside is strong enough that it evens out with the eventual downside.