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Anyone get physically sick from Stock Market losses.

  • Thread starter Thread starter KB
  • Start date Start date

I get sick from Stock Market losses

  • Yes

  • No

  • A little

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I was a wreck on a $60,000 loss a few years ago. Every year, the $3,000 carry over loss (taxes) still makes me feel bad (as did your thread reminding me about it).

I was unable to function realistically for a few weeks.
 
What is a stock market loss?

I kid, I kid. I haven't got enough invested in the stock market to lose large amounts. But I also understand that it's part of the game. You can't win every time. It's all about money management.
 
I've been down 5 figures during short crashes, but I always made them back. Definitely got nervous, did a lot of FMLing, never sick. Always knew I'd make it back in one form or another.

Now that I know more what I'm doing, I don't put much thought into it.
 
I started investing after the collapse of 2008-09, so I've never seen a drop in my investments (mostly index funds). I don't know what it feels like to see your net worth drop like a rock, but I'm in it for the long term, so I'm not worried.
 
I just tell myself it is coming back...just wait it out. I could imagine it would suck if I was 55 and something like the recession hit... But I am only 35 and have plenty of years to see it through.
 
overst33r said:
If you lose enough to make you sick or unable to sleep, your asset allocation was too aggressive.
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Or, in my case, I simply fucked up royally. I had no exit strategy other than hoping that it would come back up....it didn't.

The rest is history (and 14 more years of 'future' tax write off carry-overs).
 
Engineer said:
Or, in my case, I simply fucked up royally. I had no exit strategy other than hoping that it would come back up....it didn't.



The rest is history (and 14 more years of 'future' tax write off carry-overs).
Click to expand...


I am assuming this was a specific stock and not a fund?
 
PricklyPete said:
I just tell myself it is coming back...just wait it out. I could imagine it would suck if I was 55 and something like the recession hit... But I am only 35 and have plenty of years to see it through.
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That's what I did....until it didn't. Had to call Schwab and ask them to waive the selling fee as it took my account negative - yes, I owed more than the account was worth. Telling yourself that it will come back is a losing strategy for the most part.
 
PricklyPete said:
I am assuming this was a specific stock and got a fund?
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Yes. I'm not allowed to buy individual stocks again. I had to promise my wife that and I respect the fact that she was so forgiving to keep that promise.

On a side note, I followed the above lose by not selling anything during the big drop of the 'great recession'. I watched my funds in my 401k drop 64%. I almost quit at that point and threw in the towel. If I had, I would have been really sick at this point.
 
Engineer said:
That's what I did....until it didn't. Had to call Schwab and ask them to waive the selling fee as it took my account negative - yes, I owed more than the account was worth. Telling yourself that it will come back is a losing strategy for the most part.
Click to expand...



Engineer said:
Yes. I'm not allowed to buy individual stocks again. I had to promise my wife that and I respect the fact that she was so forgiving to keep that promise.
Click to expand...



Well I would agree with you with regard to single stocks to some degree (would be dependent on the stock), but I definitely disagree if it is an index fund of a mutual fund with a solid history. While history is no guarantee, it is a safe bet in my mind that a portfolio with a diversified mix of solid funds will rebound. I have more than fully recovered from the recession just like my father did in past market dips. I am confident the market will have more adjustments in the future and will recover in time. I will get less aggressive as I get older, but I will try to time that as best I can when I feel the market is in a good position. We'll see how it works out for me.
 
Engineer said:
That's what I did....until it didn't. Had to call Schwab and ask them to waive the selling fee as it took my account negative - yes, I owed more than the account was worth. Telling yourself that it will come back is a losing strategy for the most part.
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So you sold and locked in your losses? I'm curious if you didn't sell, where would that stock be today?

It sucks you had to learn that way, but I'm sure you're now aware...

Individual stocks = gambling/speculating
Buy & Hold Indexes/MFs= investing
 
It's only a loss if you sell. You should always do the exact opposite of what the masses are doing and what your gut is telling you.

Did it crash and you're feeling sick cause you 'lost' a ton of money and every fiber of your being is screaming SELL AND CUT YOUR LOSSES!? Double down and put as much in as you can because you are buying at a discount. It will always come back, and if it doesn't come back then the entire world has crashed and we've entered post apocalyptic mode anyway and your money wouldn't be worth shit anyhow.

I'm talking about a good spread fund here, not an individual company. Yes that's much more dangerous.
 
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No physically ill but watching my company's stock have a nice week of gains completely destroyed plus more for no apparent reason whatsoever really pisses me off.

The stock market today is a joke. Nothing but a bunch of computers instantly trading stocks based on Twitter, newsfeeds, etc. A butterfly farts in Mongolia and the entire market crashes. It's ridiculous.
 
No. I buy and hold stock index mutual funds and ETFs, forever.

When you're investing over decades instead of day trading, a drop in the market means nothing except possibly a buying opportunity. I did very well buying during the last crash.

Edit: and when you're buying a broad index like the S&P 500 you don't need to spend any time looking at individual companies or worrying about an Enron. Your eggs are in 500 baskets not one.
 
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overst33r said:
So you sold and locked in your losses? I'm curious if you didn't sell, where would that stock be today?

It sucks you had to learn that way, but I'm sure you're now aware...

Individual stocks = gambling/speculating
Buy & Hold Indexes/MFs= investing
Click to expand...

I took it a step further....I not only went in 'whole hog' (as they say), I was so sure that I had a winner that I went in margin too. I had no choice but to sell (as account went negative). I owed more money (after sale) than the account had in it (about $10 - but Schwab waived that). On top of that, found out that CEO and other executives were cooking the books in the background (got $800 back in class action lawsuit a few years later).

Yes, I learned a hard lesson during that time...one that I NEVER forget.....and one that I am forever grateful that my wife forgave....
 
PricklyPete said:
Well I would agree with you with regard to single stocks to some degree (would be dependent on the stock), but I definitely disagree if it is an index fund of a mutual fund with a solid history. While history is no guarantee, it is a safe bet in my mind that a portfolio with a diversified mix of solid funds will rebound. I have more than fully recovered from the recession just like my father did in past market dips. I am confident the market will have more adjustments in the future and will recover in time. I will get less aggressive as I get older, but I will try to time that as best I can when I feel the market is in a good position. We'll see how it works out for me.
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Sorry, I thought you were talking about individual stocks when I replied. Index funds, I tend to think you can hold on and they come back....at least as evidence of the crash of the great recession.
 
Arcadio said:
I started investing after the collapse of 2008-09, so I've never seen a drop in my investments (mostly index funds). I don't know what it feels like to see your net worth drop like a rock, but I'm in it for the long term, so I'm not worried.
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Just resist the urge to panic and go twiddling with what's in there, lest you get yourself into trouble. 😉




child of wonder said:
No physically ill but watching my company's stock have a nice week of gains completely destroyed plus more for no apparent reason whatsoever really pisses me off.

The stock market today is a joke. Nothing but a bunch of computers instantly trading stocks based on Twitter, newsfeeds, etc. A butterfly farts in Mongolia and the entire market crashes. It's ridiculous.
Click to expand...
So get an index fund.
Rather than betting on a slot machine or two or three, take home a portion of the casino's income. Riding the average is really not bad at all. Our culture just attaches a lot of stigma to "average."
 
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Losses always sting far worse than the same gain. I've been sick before and wanted to vomit plenty of times. Whenever I feel like this, I try to tell myself to hold my nose and buy more aggressively but that's easier said than done.
 
Jeff7 said:
So get an index fund.
Rather than betting on a slot machine or two or three, take home a portion of the casino's income. Riding the average is really not bad at all. Our culture just attaches a lot of stigma to "average."
Click to expand...

My own personal investments are diversified. The reason I call out my company's stock is because I was gifted a large number of shares. It's not at a level yet where I'd like to sell so I just sit and wait. It's just upsetting seeing the thing crash 2.5% in a day for no reason at all after a nice week of ~2% total gains.
 
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