I did some selling at the end of Dec. It has recovered almost 12% in Jan. Really looking forward to Feb statement. The time frame of 20-24, if it wasn't dropping it was a stagnant mess! Amazing. I wonder what could have changed in one years time frame?
We hope it continues for 2 years till the wife cashes out, we have actually come close to deciding she should just cash out now and not risk it. We are at about 50-50 right now, market, fixed. You know how it goes. Pigs get fat, Hogs get slaughtered.
Interesting, that wasn't my experience. I bought some stocks in 2022 from a previous 401k that I had to rollover into an IRA. Many of them them rose by 600-900% in two years. Those are the ones I had put some decent money into. They were wonky in 2025 and less than what they were in mid 2024 so sold in October 2025. I invested in S&P 500 and did okay. Admittedly, I did have a couple that were dogs, but I had only invested about 2k in each of those, just for fun, so that didn't bother me. My other, stuff that I already had been holding (EFTs) were doing well too until 2025, where for the most part did little better than holding their own. That was all self-directed and most times don't really pay attention unless I have cash sitting in my rollover IRA that needs something to do. At the end of 2025, I went to a directed account, and they have been selling/buying stuff at a pace that I would never have considered and also have access to stuff that the regular public doesn't.
We've had a financial planner for decades. Our trust in his opinions of numerous investment vehicles, has us very comfortable as we both gain more life experiences. IE: get older.
These are certainly good times despite what the mainstream media and certain elites want you to believe. Not so sure I would want to be a twenty-something again with the current leverage between wages and housing. 50 years ago was good times if you were working. Wasn't "easy" back then though either.
I'm pretty sure all management brokers have their own special accounts that provide for specific splits for bonds, stocks (domestic and foreign) etc. that don't necessarily have to conform to minimum buys. Yeah, I resisted for so long. But, now that I'm older and found someone I'm comfortable with, I've decided it is the smart way to go. I guess part of that is I got to a certain amount, so the extra fees no longer make me cringe so much. Don't get me wrong, I still cringe, but can justify the expense to myself now. It also makes sure I don't do something stupid during the latest volatility. I mean, I managed to do well by happenstance of having the money I needed to invest from the 401k rollover and the stocks dropping during that downturn during covid. But, that was luck and I'm a "hoarder" and won't let go of anything when that needs to be done - the HD stock I bought way back in 2013 or 2014 were STILL sitting there, even though I literally had done nothing but lose money the entire time I had it .
There was a time when the stock market had been in a bull run with debt sky rocketing closing at all time highs. It was about a hundred years ago. Take heed, or not.
This will no doubt ruffle a few feathers. Media bias aside (they’re all influenced by the same intelligence agency and complex web of corporate entities) cracks do seem to be forming. Everything’s good though, Modern Monetary Theory works as long as my team is implementing it. Bread and Circuses. Layoffs in January were the highest to start a year since 2009, Challenger says US DATA: Consumer Credit Soared In December, Led By Credit Card Rebound
In another few years I will be the parent of two late teens/early 20s kids. What concerns me is the cost of college. It has grown so exponentially that it's not worth it for many of the people currently attending in my opinion. My son is 14 and is telling us he wants to be a sports doctor. While I think that's a worthwhile career path, he's only 14 so who knows. I've been letting him know that the trades are always a good option and trying to get him to understand that many people basically ruin their lives by taking out students loans that they will never be able to pay back. I've come to the conclusion that even if my wife and I can't help our children financially as much as we'd like to, I will have succeeded as a father if I help them avoid becoming lifelong debt slaves in the pursuit of a college degree.
How did you go about finding a financial planner that you felt was both competent and trustworthy? My wife and I have always avoided using one because we're not very trusting people so we've done all our financial planning based on our own research and self education.
I have 2 grandsons who have and are taking college classes while in high school. The older one was able to finish college in 2 and a half years because of that. It saved my son a ton of money. The other grandson is taking college courses this year when he is a junior. The only class he goes to high school for is choir. You should look at that option when he gets into hs.
We've told both our son and daughter that if they want to go to college they should get the gen eds out of the way at a local community college that they can pay cash for before transferring to a 4 year school. We've also told them to apply for every scholarship under the sun. My son is in high school now and I do know they offer a few classes for college credit. My son is also about to get his first job and I told him that half his checks will be going into a Roth IRA we're setting up for him. I am trying to get his 14 year old brain to understand the benefit of 50 years of compunding interest.
The best thing to do is ask friends/family who are doing well who they use, go in and talk to them and ask lots of questions, particularly around how they get paid, the process they use to match investments with their clients objectives, how/when they communicate with their clients, how they establish and build trust with their clients, and anything else on your mind. This is basically a job interview, so treat it like one. If you don't like them, then walk away and go to the next one. When you find one you like, just give them a little chunk to manage....pick a number that gives you peace. If they do well with that, give them a little more, and a little more as your comfort level grows. I certainly wouldn't give them everything, and if they pressure you to do so just walk away. When talking to them, it should feel like you are being taught/mentored....if it feels "sales-y" that's a red flag.
