General

[Walking_Target]

unforunately, this has very little to do with the internal US market, what it has to do with is a current policy of buying on credit (on the large scale)

the US currently has a very large debit, internationally, not just within it's own borders.

[Tugboater203]

Don't forget the weak housing market both in retail sales and new home starts. With the excessive amount of no/low interest loans out for 80-110% of homes value it doesn't take much to loose some value and have everything go off kilter.
My 401K in mostly aggressive growth has done pretty good ( I can take a hit I have 31 years to go ) I made 4000 in one day then lost 6000 3 days later right now I'm about even.

Tug

[secretweaponevan]

Originally Posted by mike31c

Okay, but you can (or should be able to) change the percentages of your $$$ going into exactly what fund/stocks at any time (if you wished)...

Unless the matching is entirely in company stock, I would stop putting new $$$ and the matching in the company stock and into other funds if you are uncomfortable in the current situation...

...

I would do exactly the opposite. If the price on toilet paper goes down, I buy it while it's cheap, and I buy a bunch.

My company's stock went from $74 to $53 in 2 weeks. Luckily I was positioned to take advantage of this and have since transferred a large percentage of my 401(k)'s value into it. I have been using a similar strategy for the past 9 months and have seen a 24% gain (not including paycheck contributions).

[dalious]

Originally Posted by PJ

Politics aside (ahem), my 401(k) savings plan at work has been taking a beating the past two months.

My stock have been doing well, i'm not going to list names but i have invested in soap, adictions,and sex.

[Azzy]

Sell the stock. Look at it this way, would you cash in your 40K to buy stock in your company? Heck, do you have a mortage? Would you mortgage your house to buy stock?

Same thing if you let it sit.

One of the main reasons other than what Mike said is that Americans dont know how to save for anything anymore, we would as a wehole just charge it and pay back payments.

A wiser man than me once said " The borrower is slave to the lender"

Also, something odd has been happening to the market. A huge amount of stock is bought or sold right before close. Speculation is that it may be another country that is interested in seeing what they can do to our market.

[mike31c]

ok folks, stand back and let me say this...

Azzy is right... :-o

Americans in general have a poor savings rate. Right now, we as a Nation have a Negative Savings rate. A minus .1 percentage...

But before You sell one share of your stock and take it out of your 401K, just remember you will take a hit and a penality if you do so... Talk to your financial pro before you do anything silly!!

remember, your home loan has a tax deduction.. your 401k contributions reduces your tax base...Holding large piles of Cash in a bank account does nothing except gives you a tax Hit on interest...

Besides, if you sell, you are contributing to the downward spiral of the US msrket...