How many of you invest?

[backhoeboogie]

You could also make a case that you lose nothing if you don't sell. I've actually heard that one a time or two.

Or, you could lose everything if you don't sell. I bought 100 shares of WorldCom stock in 2000 for about $30/share, I think it was. A few months later, 100 shares of WorldCom was worth zero dollars and WorldCom was in bankruptcy.

Sorry. That too. Dad talked me in to buying shares in a land development. I dropped $500 in at $5 a share. Dad died. Years later they were looking for me. They had sold out. Dissolved. The shares were $60 something par value. Found out Dad had way more shares but I had to split that with my siblings.

You just never know.

 

[1982vett]

You could also make a case that you lose nothing if you don't sell. I've actually heard that one a time or two.

Or, you could lose everything if you don't sell. I bought 100 shares of WorldCom stock in 2000 for about $30/share, I think it was. A few months later, 100 shares of WorldCom was worth zero dollars and WorldCom was in bankruptcy.

Hmm....I had some of that too.... only I was playing it when it was a buck or two. Played with Enron for pennies also and lost. :lol: KMart..........anyone?

:lol: Just looked up Sears HOldings, another high flier that is sucking mud.....Glad I gave up on it back in 2008.

Does anyone have Apple that bought around 1997? Your cost basis would be around 30 cents. Shoot, I should have kept the couple hundred shares I bought in 2007 for a trade that didn't work. It would still be worth $95ish but I'd have 1400 shares instead of 200. :nod:

TB, It may be time to double down on them cows now.....

 

[ga.prime]

You could also make a case that you lose nothing if you don't sell. I've actually heard that one a time or two.

Or, you could lose everything if you don't sell. I bought 100 shares of WorldCom stock in 2000 for about $30/share, I think it was. A few months later, 100 shares of WorldCom was worth zero dollars and WorldCom was in bankruptcy.

Hmm....I had some of that too.... only I was playing it when it was a buck or two. Played with Enron for pennies also and lost. :lol: KMart..........anyone?

:lol: Just looked up Sears HOldings, another high flier that is sucking mud.....Glad I gave up on it back in 2008.

Does anyone have Apple that bought around 1997? Your cost basis would be around 30 cents. Shoot, I should have kept the couple hundred shares I bought in 2007 for a trade that didn't work. It would still be worth $95ish but I'd have 1400 shares instead of 200. :nod:

TB, It may be time to double down on them cows now.....

I bought Apple in 2000 for around $12 a share. There was a two for one split sometime after that, effectively meaning I had $6/share in it. There were no other stock splits before I sold it three or four years ago for around $600/share, a 100 fold increase. Shoulda put that WorldCom money in it instead of riding it down. Anyway, with that WorldCom caper I proved you can lose if you don't sell.

 

[Jogeephus]

Speaking of riding things down, I remember buying stock in Eastern Airlines at $8/share when the economy was down knowing it was going to soar like their planes when the economy straightened out. What I didn't count on was the doors on those DC10's (?) blowing off in flight and sucking stewardesses out the door. As the stewardesses fell to the ground so did the stock. Thankfully I broke even after a wild and hairy ride.

 

[TexasBred]

You could also make a case that you lose nothing if you don't sell. I've actually heard that one a time or two.

Or, you could lose everything if you don't sell. I bought 100 shares of WorldCom stock in 2000 for about $30/share, I think it was. A few months later, 100 shares of WorldCom was worth zero dollars and WorldCom was in bankruptcy.

Hmm....I had some of that too.... only I was playing it when it was a buck or two. Played with Enron for pennies also and lost. :lol: KMart..........anyone?

:lol: Just looked up Sears HOldings, another high flier that is sucking mud.....Glad I gave up on it back in 2008.

Does anyone have Apple that bought around 1997? Your cost basis would be around 30 cents. Shoot, I should have kept the couple hundred shares I bought in 2007 for a trade that didn't work. It would still be worth $95ish but I'd have 1400 shares instead of 200. :nod:

TB, It may be time to double down on them cows now.....

No need to hurry vet...gonna wait a few weeks and let'em drop a few more bucks. :cowboy:

 

[SJB]

Don't beat yourself up too bad for not buying apple in 1995 or whatever. It might as well have been a different company than it is today. I doubt anybody that bought then did so banking on the iPhone!

 

[1982vett]

Jogee. My wife's portfolio has Southwest Airlines. They were bought a short time before we met. Thankfully it has done well since it was bought, but yeah, an airline wouldn't have been a choice of mine.

 

[1982vett]

Don't beat yourself up too bad for not buying apple in 1995 or whatever. It might as well have been a different company than it is today. I doubt anybody that bought then did so banking on the iPhone!

Yeah. Hindsight is awesome. I remember a conversation with a cousin that had a palm pilot. I said if they ever put a phone in that thing you will have something. However I couldn't foresee a wireless network that could make it useful. :dunce:

And Apple was just a failing computer company making toys..... :dunce: :dunce: :lol:

 

[Ryder]

You could also make a case that you lose nothing if you don't sell. I've actually heard that one a time or two.

Or, you could lose everything if you don't sell. I bought 100 shares of WorldCom stock in 2000 for about $30/share, I think it was. A few months later, 100 shares of WorldCom was worth zero dollars and WorldCom was in bankruptcy.

Good post ga.prime.
There are a lot of people who just don't believe a stock can go to zero.
Not exactly the same thing but you can lose all your money real fast if an option trade goes bad on you. Three guesses as to how I know. :cry2: :cry2:

 

[backhoeboogie]

You could also make a case that you lose nothing if you don't sell. I've actually heard that one a time or two.

Or, you could lose everything if you don't sell. I bought 100 shares of WorldCom stock in 2000 for about $30/share, I think it was. A few months later, 100 shares of WorldCom was worth zero dollars and WorldCom was in bankruptcy.

Good post ga.prime.
There are a lot of people who just don't believe a stock can go to zero.
Not exactly the same thing but you can lose all your money real fast if an option trade goes bad on you. Three guesses as to how I know. :cry2: :cry2:

You never hear much bragging from folks who lose. LOL

 

[Ryder]

Or, you could lose everything if you don't sell. I bought 100 shares of WorldCom stock in 2000 for about $30/share, I think it was. A few months later, 100 shares of WorldCom was worth zero dollars and WorldCom was in bankruptcy.

Good post ga.prime.
There are a lot of people who just don't believe a stock can go to zero.
Not exactly the same thing but you can lose all your money real fast if an option trade goes bad on you. Three guesses as to how I know. :cry2: :cry2:

You never hear much bragging from folks who lose. LOL

I've noticed that myself, backhoe. :nod:

 

[Brute 23]

You never hear about the average earned either. Its all about the gains. Like cattle people... they are all about the income and not the expenses.

One loss on single stocks can take a lot of wins to recover from.

 

[Jogeephus]

That is true and that is why I prefer steady safe growth and I like to be diversified as much as possible.

 

[ga.prime]

Good points. Mutual funds is the way to go.

 

[herofan]

NEW QUESTION:

Back when stocks fell so drastically around 2009, obviously, one doesn't want to sell anything they have, but suppose you had a pot of extra money in the bank. Would that not have been a great time to have bought solid companies like Coke, Wal-Mart, Microsoft, etc? Wouldn't one be doing well with those stocks today?

 

[Brute 23]

Yes it was a great time to jump in the market, not sure about buying single stocks though. Buy an index fund with all those and more in it.

 

[herofan]

Yes it was a great time to jump in the market, not sure about buying single stocks though. Buy an index fund with all those and more in it.

Why would you not want single stocks? My advisor said this was the way to go for me since i already have my retirement taken care of.

 

[tom4018]

Yes it was a great time to jump in the market, not sure about buying single stocks though. Buy an index fund with all those and more in it.

Why would you not want single stocks? My advisor said this was the way to go for me since i already have my retirement taken care of.

I was always told more risks in single stocks but sometimes gains are good.

 

[herofan]

Yes it was a great time to jump in the market, not sure about buying single stocks though. Buy an index fund with all those and more in it.

Why would you not want single stocks? My advisor said this was the way to go for me since i already have my retirement taken care of.

I was always told more risks in single stocks but sometimes gains are good.

That's probably true, My advisor told me that mutual funds are less risky, but potential for gain is not as good as with single stocks. I know some investors who agree with that as well. So i guess it's whatever route one wants to take.

 

[Brute 23]

Yes it was a great time to jump in the market, not sure about buying single stocks though. Buy an index fund with all those and more in it.

Why would you not want single stocks? My advisor said this was the way to go for me since i already have my retirement taken care of.

Higher risk. There is no such thing as "retirement is taken care of". You never know how much you may need. If that was my financial advisor I would really question his logic and/ or motive. IMO stay the course that got you to that point.