Got my 401K statement for this quarter

[Shelly21]

I lost $717.10 this quarter.

The individual rate of return of -11.95% for me.

Anyone in the same boat?

I'm tempted to move everything back to stable funds instead of having 100% in various stocks. But people are telling me to keep it there as I'm technically buying more shares at a cheaper price.

 

[Electric Amish]

Yeah.

-$1,300 :|

amish

 

[RossMAN]

I've lost at least $1,000 I'm too scared to look besides I'm in it for the long haul.

<--- turns 28 this year, many years from retirement.

 

[ElFenix]

lets play the "calculate how much money shelly21 has in her 401(k)" game!

 

[Pliablemoose]

Try $35K+ this quarter.

Best advice is not to even look @ your statements for a while & keep dollar cost averaging into an index fund, if you're into the market for >5 years.

 

[Hammer]

I'm not really worried about my 401k.

 

[rahvin]

My balance has remained constant for over a year with 21% of my salary going in.

 

[Sepen]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
Try $35K+ this quarter.

Best advice is not to even look @ your statements for a while & keep dollar cost averaging into an index fund, if you're into the market for >5 years.

$50k+ here.

 

[ElFenix]

dollar cost averaging?

 

[tontod]

Unless you're close to retirement, its not worth fretting over.

 

[Shelly21]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
lets play the "calculate how much money shelly21 has in her 401(k)" game!

I can tell you, I only started with 18,066.61 with change of 717.10-
resulted in ending balance of 17,349.51

however, when it says Individual rate of return of -11.95%

It just doesn't add up. Perhaps I'm overlooking something.

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: rahvin
My balance has remained constant for over a year with 21% of my salary going in.

Thats a nice chunk going into it

Im only 19 and cant legally open a 401k... so i'll wait to start till im 21... and it'll have to be an automatic thing..

 

[Hammer]

Exactly. I still got about 20 years to go.

Originally posted by: tontod
Unless you're close to retirement, its not worth fretting over.

 

[NetworkDad]

I've lost at least $1000.

25 yrs old...trying not to worry as i'm in a long-term investement.

 

[Pliablemoose]

The concept is this: without trying to time the market, you invest a set dollar amount over time in various market conditions.

 

[PsychoAndy]

I invested $5000 in a 150 year old company!

Total return on investment: -88%

 

[pyonir]

Originally posted by: PsychoAndy
I invested $5000 in a 150 year old company!

Total return on investment: -88%

Johnson & Johnson?

 

[Stallion]

Between my wife and I we lost about 25K. Looks like we need to move our funds to a different fund. But our 401K is one of the best I know of.

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: bob970

Originally posted by: rahvin
My balance has remained constant for over a year with 21% of my salary going in.

Thats a nice chunk going into it

Im only 19 and cant legally open a 401k... so i'll wait to start till im 21... and it'll have to be an automatic thing..

WTF are you smoking?

I've had my 401k since I was 19, & I'm only 20 now...

I was putting in 10% for quite a while, but I dropped it to 3% (the amount my employer matches to) to pay off my debts faster.

Viper GTS

 

[SuperTool]

401K and IRA Down 4K this year. Oh well. I just turned 22, so I have ways to go.

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: Shelly21
I lost $717.10 this quarter.

The individual rate of return of -11.95% for me.

Anyone in the same boat?

I'm tempted to move everything back to stable funds instead of having 100% in various stocks. But people are telling me to keep it there as I'm technically buying more shares at a cheaper price.

Well I don't have a 401K but a 403B so i pay no SS. But I've lost 17K this quarter and over 90K over the last two years.... I'm so pissed we can't invest our monies and employers match the way we see fit and are allocated only about 25 mutuals Basically it's a forced pyramid scheme I hate it they all get rich while I'm pisssing my kids inheritance away.

<30 wanted to retire at 45

My hegde fund made 13% today but I only have chump change there.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Like others say, now is the worst time to stop buying stock funds, if you do you're practicing "buy high, sell low" which is not the way to grow your retirement fund. If you wait for the market to go up before you start buying again, you'll have missed your chance to buy low.

Dollar cost averaging, S&P500 index mutual fund, and ignoring your quarterly statement is a great way to invest for the long term. Remember too that that -11% doesn't take into account the 30% you saved in income taxes (since 401k reduces your gross income).

 

[zephyrprime]

Eveyone here thinks it's a bad time to pull out but I disagree. Pull out! The DOW may be bouncing back in the next few days (which I will be waiting for) but the clear trend is down. Stock still overvalued.

Check out this chart:
Historic chart
You should note that the chart is logarithmic. Other shorter term (only 100 yrs) charts paint a similiar picture which you can go look up for yourselves at various charting websites.

Anyone that doesn't know what a p/e ratio is should not be in the market.

I don't have a 401k but I magage my mom's 401k and also my dad's IRA. My mom's 401k has lost only a little money this year because I stuck it all in bonds a while ago.

And check out the insider action at Goldman Sachs. Scary!!

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: Shelly21

Originally posted by: ElFenix
lets play the "calculate how much money shelly21 has in her 401(k)" game!

I can tell you, I only started with 18,066.61 with change of 717.10-
resulted in ending balance of 17,349.51
however, when it says Individual rate of return of -11.95%
It just doesn't add up. Perhaps I'm overlooking something.

That is the annualized rate, but the year is only half over... And as others have said, while it's distracting to see this, this would be the worst time to stop putting money in. You get to continue cost averaging down. Trust me, I wish I had that opportunity (thinking we'd see more of a rebound, I maxed my 401k early this year).

Bill

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: zephyrprime
Eveyone here thinks it's a bad time to pull out but I disagree. Pull out! The DOW may be bouncing back in the next few days (which I will be waiting for) but the clear trend is down. Stock still overvalued.

Check out this chart:
Historic chart
You should note that the chart is logarithmic. Other shorter term (only 100 yrs) charts paint a similiar picture which you can go look up for yourselves at various charting websites.

Anyone that doesn't know what a p/e ratio is should not be in the market.

I don't have a 401k but I magage my mom's 401k and also my dad's IRA. My mom's 401k has lost only a little money this year because I stuck it all in bonds a while ago.

And check out the insider action at Goldman Sachs. Scary!!

You know I played this game for the last two years IE Pull out when the stocks fell and put into bonds... Then move from bonds to hiogher risk after a few bad days.

Problem is I always predicted wrong In other words say the dow dropped 300, I would then move everything over to bonds for the next day, then would'nt you know it, the stock funds would shoot right back up!. And my move into bonds would loose for that day

I suck at these funds. I want all my moneis to go to berkshire but these asses in congress won't let you do it this way They want you to stick with these bullcrap -expensive -top heavy mutuals.