Hurricane fan made an interesting assumption about money that in the stock market over the last 4 years being "dead money". I rebutted the statement saying that he was under the assumption that all investors had to be investing in index funds for the statement to be true. I continued to share some of the high performing individual stocks that I own and have owned in the recent past...including FIC. (Fair Isaac)...thank you credit boards....lol





I owned NXTL at 3 to over 5.5 myself and doubled on SIRI myself. Hurrican Fan's above quote is a totally contradictory statement to the previous statement mad about dead money and makes 25% returns look miniscule. So here-in is the question....????


Has your money invested in the market over the last four years been "dead money". Assumption- provided small returns over the last 4 years? Please share your experiences while I contain myself from sharing mine.

Clark

P.S.

overall still dead money.. i owned WCOM and its completely dead money when I bought it. BLS the same way WMT sucks there are plenty of stocks that have gone nowhere and far more that have gone down compared to the GOOGs and NXTLs of the world.

Somebody said a similar statement to me several years ago.

I had wanted to support the American economy after 9/11 hearing OBL intended to topple our economy. Something about that statement really ticked me off.

Now I had already donated to the Red Cross, and really wanted to put some money into the stock market. A friend's dh, told me something to the effect I was an idiot. He said I was buying into the hype by brokers and my money would be lost and I would be paying the stock brokers and their brokerage's salary.

I had never bought a stock in my life before this.

So instead of just randomly tossing money out there into any stock, which I probably would have done if not heckled by the guy, I gave careful consideration to my choice. I recalled reading in the newspaper about a company that had used facial recognition technology at a Superbowl. I opened up an account at Scottrade and that was the company I invested in two days after the markets opened, Visionics, VSNX (I don't think it is public anymore, or has another symbol, but that was the symbol in 2001, I haven't followed since than.)

In about two weeks times, checking on the stock, the money had doubled. I was amazed and probably, forever hooked. I bought MESA airlines shortly after I sold VSNX. MESA double by January of that year. Again, family members (brothers) told me I was a moron when I told them I bought airlines, they asked me if I ever heard of an event called 9/11.

I too also bought NXTL in the high 2 dollars to 3 dollar range. I remember telling my brother, a CPA he should buy some too. My brother is much like most people, a doom and gloom and excessively cautious guy. Chicken little sky is falling when it comes to stocks. He too told me I was an idiot. Most people at that time, were caught in fear from the scandals and bankruptcies of Worldom/Enron/Global Crossing and the likes. It was quite a time to invest in a telecom back than, but I just figured that the Cell Phone Business is here to stay, and I knew NXTL was a great provider of service based on friends and others reviews. They just had a bad rap being associated with Worldcom and GX.

Anyways, I love to buy stocks individually. I don't know much about mutual funds, as I tend to buy individual stocks. I bought Hal at about 10/11 range a BRCM at about 13 -15 a range. They both trade at about 60/45ish now, and I have sold long ago for a profit, obviously, for too damn cheap.

One day, my dh was with me at the computer on a stock I had bought, Gaylords ( a clothing company, they are pink sheets now, used to be public, not GET on NYSE). Anyways, again, I liked the company and bought them before earnings. The stock made their numbers, exceeded them, and had gone up from when I bought them a few days earlier. I remember because DH looked at the gain and said, "I'm quitting my job." He was serious too. That scared me more than any stock I had bought. Every stock you buy has a risk, it was ridiculous to think I could always buy a stock and gain. I don't remotely believe that.

I have lost money, but I've made more than I've lost. I think, there is NO WAY to say that without someone becoming defensive. I don't like to talk about stocks because people don't react very well to it. I am in no way an expert, and everytime anyone invests there is always a risk.

You almost can't afford not to be in the market- anything tamer won't keep pace with inflation. Keep a long-term view- VERY long-term. Do not put money into the market that you'll need for your kid's tuition in 2 years.

I had a small pile to invest in mid-2003 after selling a house and buying in a lower-cost of living area. I picked mutual funds with good long-term records and they're paying off- total portfolio has returned an average of 8.9% per year since then. I still watch those funds like a hawk and if any one of them tanks more than its peers when the market drops, I'm outta there- but having been though some pretty bad setbacks in the market, I'm still convinced it's the place to be.

I know nothing about the stock market or anything else about making my money work for me. So, I have my 401k investing 50% in a small cap fund and 50% in an international something fund. I also have an individual investment account and have 50% in a small cap fund and 50% in an emerging markets fund. My 401k seems to have done well. I'm not sure though because I can't stand seeing it go down so I don't look at it but maybe every 6 months or so. My other investment account is about a month old so there isn't much money in it. I just wish my bank would put the investment accounts on a seperate page from my regular banking. I can't stand watching that stupid emerging markets fund go down and down and ... wait it hasn't been open that long

My dd also has an investment account. She has a special kids mutual fund. It seems to be doing well. Its only been open for the same time as mine and I have yet to see one penny disappear from her account. Seems to be going up, well it is going up. More money is in the account than I put into it.

I really, really wish they'd seperate banking from investments. Its driving me crazy to have to see the numbers everyday and have no clue as to what is going on. I guess I'll learn someday.