[oldaccount]

So would now be a good time to invest in stocks/mutual fund? Is the market technically on sale, or are we headed for Teh Epic Depreshun and everyone should just load up on guns and ammo and stuff their money into a mattress?

[aut0sh0cker]

frankly, I'm going to sit for at least a little while, see how the market adjusts, what ends up of Lehman Brothers, then I will either sit and watch some more, or go all in. We are at the point with many companies, where they have nowhere to go but up... or dissolve...

[iatacs19]

The trend now is downwards, wait a little more...

[sinnet112]

Wait it out, see what happens with Goldman and Morgan Stanley. AIG is a big concern right now, but the Fed's trying I suppose. Unless you're investing for 2-3 years down the road and don't expect to look at it before then, hold off until you have some more positive signs.

[Hawkeye]

Now would be a bad time... especially after last weekend. I would wait for things to level a bit.

[Alpine]

Yep my finance professor gave the exact same advice this morning in class after a lengthy discussion on Lehman Brothers. Wait a little while and see what happens.
But yes, technically the market is down, but its best to wait until it levels to invest.

[MCS]

I'm dipping my toe in the water.

Placed a order for index funds on Friday. It just executed this morning.

Didn't move all in though ... We'll have to see where the market goes from here.

Very very hard to time the troughs

[Brunotheboxer]

The first bill I pay every month is to Fidelity. Its long term so the way i look at it I'm getting more shares lately. I have never stopped investing and I wont now.

[oldaccount]

good stuf. looks like ill have to wait.

[nightkhan]

you can always take advantage and short sell/but puts when the market goes down

[Spec 1]

My investments are long term, goal for withdrawal is another 35 years out, so I just dropped another $2,000 into my mutual funds. Short term I think will drop slightly more before they bounce. Trying to catch this thing at a low....

[oldaccount]

Originally Posted by nightkhan

you can always take advantage and short sell/but puts when the market goes down

that is too complicated for me right now, i just graduated and got a job and am looking to get into the market for the first time.

[aut0sh0cker]

Originally Posted by Suareezay

that is too complicated for me right now, i just graduated and got a job and am looking to get into the market for the first time.

if you are just getting into the market, i would really suggest that you hold off for a little while. do some research, because right now, many, once formidable stocks, are way too volatile to predict given the current situation... oh, and watch the news!

[Voltigeur]

-
The market is still very tricky as we wait to see if the Fed's liquidity efforts take hold, but one thing is for sure: real rates are negative and eventually that will coax the cash in from the sidelines - there's nearly $1 trillion extra in money funds since Aug '07 and that's 50% more cash than built up in the last bear from '00 - 1Q 03. And that cash is earning less than CPI ...

For the newbs to investing: start out w/ low cost widely diversified index funds / ETFs. Stock picking does not come from watching "Bubble Vision" (aka CNBC) and especially Cramer.

I am buying a couple of stocks I like that have been beaten up, and are not exposed to subprime debt, CDS etc. The consumer sucks which is why there's some interesting names there.

[oldaccount]

Originally Posted by Voltigeur

For the newbs to investing: start out w/ low cost widely diversified index funds / ETFs.

That is what i plan on doing, initially.

[sinnet112]

+1 on the ETFs, and if you have every intent of holding long term, you can't beat stocks like General Dynamic (GD), Procter and Gamble (PG), or Church and Dwight (CHD), which, if you invested in say 1977, you could be up 150K% and they are so resilient in a time like this. Just some ideas.

[mpimping]

NOOO

[oldaccount]

Originally Posted by sinnet112

+1 on the ETFs, and if you have every intent of holding long term, you can't beat stocks like General Dynamic (GD), Procter and Gamble (PG), or Church and Dwight (CHD), which, if you invested in say 1977, you could be up 150K% and they are so resilient in a time like this. Just some ideas.

good stuff i will definitely check them out