# The Stock Market **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 20, 2008, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stock-market/478068 "2008-12-20T14:43:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stock-market/478068/21 "2008-12-20T17:42:45Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > If I had $1 for every time that I’d said that, I’d be very rich. 🙂 > > When I was younger, I used to have two investment strategies. The bulk of my investments were of the reasonable safe variety, and I allowed myself a small tranche to use for high risk investments. It was an amount that I wouldn’t be hurt by if I lost it all. It was fun and exciting to deal in penny shares; some I lost, but fortunately I generally came out on top. But I’ve got old and staid now. And today’s market is a lot riskier. This is why my TSP accounts are closely monitored and moved into low risk accounts when needed. I am counting on these accounts to subsidize my retirement. My “play” stock money is a different story. I have a bit invested into FNM now (800 shares), but I am seriously considering putting five to ten grand into it next year (FNM). Ten grand would be a slug in the gut to lose, but I would be okay and not hurt financially if I lost it. Maybe it isn’t a smart move to compare it to the stock market crash from years ago, but it is my gut feeling that now is the time to load up. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stock-market/478068/22 "2008-12-20T17:53:40Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > It’s possible to make money even at this time. My mother bought Ford a few weeks ago at $1.29 (although even that’s above its 52-week low of $1.01) and it’s up to over $3 now. She’s still holding onto it, because she thinks it has more to go up. Give it another few weeks, and you may be able to buy an actual Ford for $1.29. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stock-market/478068/23 "2008-12-20T18:09:38Z")
This article might be of interest to you. **[Is it all over for stocks?](http://money.cnn.com/2008/12/17/pf/end_of_stocks.moneymag/index.htm) After a miserable decade, you have to ask whether some of the most basic assumptions about equities are just plain wrong.** ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stock-market/478068/24 "2008-12-20T18:15:34Z")
> [@Diane](#): > > Maybe it isn’t a smart move to compare it to the stock market crash from years ago, but it is my gut feeling that now is the time to load up. And if you are right, that’s what separates the rich speculator from the poor one. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stock-market/478068/25 "2008-12-20T18:31:05Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > This article might be of interest to you. > > **[Is it all over for stocks?](http://money.cnn.com/2008/12/17/pf/end_of_stocks.moneymag/index.htm) After a miserable decade, you have to ask whether some of the most basic assumptions about equities are just plain wrong.** Interesting article! Thanks Shit-on-a-shingle. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stock-market/478068/26 "2008-12-20T18:32:47Z")
You’re welcome, Dumb Blonde! 🙂 Damn girl, I have missed you around here! ---
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stock-market/478068/27 "2008-12-20T19:23:29Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > You’re welcome, Dumb Blonde! 🙂 > Damn girl, I have missed you around here! I have missed you too! Guess what though? I am no longer blonde. 🙂 [![](https://i418.photobucket.com/albums/pp268/SDMBpic/diane-1.jpg) ](https://i418.photobucket.com/albums/pp268/SDMBpic/diane-1.jpg) Are you still fiery red? ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stock-market/478068/28 "2008-12-20T20:00:59Z")
Oh that’s a gorgeous color on you! My hair got too gray to keep up with the red (it looked horrible the minute it started to grow out), so now I’m using a dark blonde color, but my hair’s got so much natural red in it, that it mostly looks light brown, and occasionally has some reddish hue to it depending on the light. Kind of hard to tell since I’m mostly cut off, but [this](http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q103/silvercat17/DopeFest%2011-08/Pictures-013.jpg) is the most recent picture of me with the lighter hair color. Maybe we should be buying stock in hair color!! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stock-market/478068/29 "2008-12-20T21:28:31Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > This article might be of interest to you. > > **[Is it all over for stocks?](http://money.cnn.com/2008/12/17/pf/end_of_stocks.moneymag/index.htm) After a miserable decade, you have to ask whether some of the most basic assumptions about equities are just plain wrong.** The problem with articles such as these, is that they’re trying to argue a point based on two points in a time line of investing. I’m sure two different points can be found to debunk ‘losing 15% in a decade’. Change the data points from 1996 to 2006, and you’ll see something way different. I see several arguments about “the bottom” early in the thread. You can avoid the issue of “the bottom” by dollar cost averaging. ETA: Also, the bottom will only be known in hindsight, way after it has reached the bottom. A bottom cannot be known until after the fact. ---
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stock-market/478068/30 "2008-12-21T16:04:22Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > Oh that’s a gorgeous color on you! My hair got too gray to keep up with the red (it looked horrible the minute it started to grow out), so now I’m using a dark blonde color, but my hair’s got so much natural red in it, that it mostly looks light brown, and occasionally has some reddish hue to it depending on the light. Kind of hard to tell since I’m mostly cut off, but [this](http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q103/silvercat17/DopeFest%2011-08/Pictures-013.jpg) is the most recent picture of me with the lighter hair color. > > Maybe we should be buying stock in hair color!! 🙂 Still gorgeous! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stock-market/478068/31 "2008-12-22T02:46:17Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > This article might be of interest to you. > > **[Is it all over for stocks?](http://money.cnn.com/2008/12/17/pf/end_of_stocks.moneymag/index.htm) After a miserable decade, you have to ask whether some of the most basic assumptions about equities are just plain wrong.** It’s an interesting article but it doesn’t tell you anything about stocks that anyone who invests in stocks shouldn’t already know. Basically that: -past performance does not indicate future results -higher risk also means a greater chance that a stock can go down as well -People should not put money they can’t afford to lose into stocks “These are days when many are discouraged. In the 93 years of my life, depressions have come and gone. Prosperity has always returned and will again.” - John D. Rockefeller, 1929 ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stock-market/478068/32 "2008-12-22T07:21:28Z")
As one of my investing mentors said… > [@](#): > > It’s “Buy low, sell high.” NOT “Buy bottom, sell top.” ---
**Author:** ![BigNik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/73ab20/32.png) [@BigNik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigNik)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stock-market/478068/33 "2008-12-22T22:07:43Z")
> [@Diane](#): > > The article did say that Fannie Mae will always be around, but is this true? For the forseeable future, yes - it will. But that’s not to say that the collapses that are due next year won’t cause it to be nationalised at the price of 1/10 of a cent per share as the alternative to it going under. This is not a prediction nor advice. Legally I’m not to do either. But I’d be very careful about jumping on a private group right now because ‘they’re too big to fail’. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stock-market/478068.md?page=1)