Well, this year's Black Friday was a record year, so apparently the economy is not so bad after all?
The markets will be fine, over time anyways.
*Investors Blog*
- Thread starter Warstud
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The markets will be fine, over time anyways.
Oh... and I am a big supporter of Black Friday
and ... actually shocked at how well my investments are doing, last 2 years is nothing short of amazing. (true story, jsut went over it with my wife) It all means nothing though, until you cash out. I dont want to give it back.
Retail sales are a trailing indicator - and an estimate anyway. Not saying anything negative about the economy - just that data point.
Having said that, I bought $200 in coffee and dog treats - highly discounted at Amazon for black friday / cyber monday - that I would have bought over time anyway. Just doing my part to channel stuff the 2024 year end number.
I bought a car for my niece (not new), refied a mortgage and paid down the principal (helping my niece and kids) and a condo (for an old friend to live in).Retail sales are a trailing indicator - and an estimate anyway. Not saying anything negative about the economy - just that data point.
Having said that, I bought $200 in coffee and dog treats - highly discounted at Amazon for black friday / cyber monday - that I would have bought over time anyway. Just doing my part to channel stuff the 2024 year end number.
So I did my part in support of the 2024 year end number.
Yup, we bought a new car less than 3 weeks ago. The week before Thanksgiving, sort of on the fly too. Didnt even test drive it, didnt want too, except the sales person insisted we at least drive it around the lot as his manager will get on him.
Im on a roll for Christmas presents too! But Christmas is a big time of year for us always.
(all this after well lots of doctor stuff going on, that will be another thread, PSMA PET Scan Dec 20th hoping they dont find any more*LOL*)
and ... actually shocked at how well my investments are doing, last 2 years is nothing short of amazing. (true story, jsut went over it with my wife) It all means nothing though, until you cash out. I dont want to give it back.
I'm about $5k away from my 401k retirement goal. Very tempted to move a big chunk into bonds once I make it. But the market is so STRONG! Like you, "I don't want to give it back!"
Oh... and I am a big supporter of Black Friday
and ... actually shocked at how well my investments are doing, last 2 years is nothing short of amazing. (true story, jsut went over it with my wife) It all means nothing though, until you cash out. I dont want to give it back.
Nice to see you’ve done well, let’s keep it rolling.
What is your retirement goal figure ?
I believe things will grind higher in the first quarter of 2025….. then we see some bumps in the road.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/well...t-for-the-stock-market-in-2025-203847212.html
Bond outlook is "iffy" at best for 2025. All that could be wrong, too. You alone knows whats best for you. As for me I am going to keep my foot on the gas in 2025...
$2M is my goal. I wouldn't mind a little more run up! Thinking a new fancyish car would make a nice retirement gift to myself (coming next year).
I think everyone is doing well, I doubt very much that I am the only one. Well is relative too. Maybe I am not doing as well as I think but I am extremely happy in my spec Roth which I still consider very well for what I consider "conservative" but others would call insane.
Just buying what I see as value, some I hold and some I trade but certainly not a get quick scheme. Maybe some day I will hold one long enough.
It's also easy to say in a market that is going absolute bonkers to new highs all the time.
I have though, handily beat my wifes rational sort of conservative 401k by a large margin (she really is in the wrong mix but I try to stay out of it, though she wants to rearrange things now) and beat my own 401K in S&P and Nasdaq index funds by a fair margin.
In my spec Roth account up 87.88% in the last two years to date but the majority of that was my 65.90% gain this year.
Sadly I got out of some stock and I am holding some cash. I got out of GM which did well and sold off a little WMT to buy META which is doing very well. I am loving META... but I could change my mind next month but I think as of this minute im in for the long run which could be a week or a year or ____
With that said... TMUS which is now up over $100 a share since I sold it, still at a profit though but ... well you know! *LOL*
For anyone who knows Schwabs screen on their accounts will know this type and font is true to the Schwab website but I am not publishing my worth and its impossible to post more without doing that.
It's also important to know 85% or so of this is unrealized gains and the gains can evaporate tomorrow or next week or next month. So know your risk of course and why I call it a spec account.
This market is insane... and I see XRP has gone bonkers too.
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It makes one wonder.
I actually believe we are living in the best of times (no secret there) and this economy is on fire, as well as the whole rest of the world investing in our stock market/ in our country. I mean, it doesnt get any better. Yeah, sure, at some point it will come down or level out but when is the question. I know people in forums that have been saying this for years and missed out on one of the greatest moves in history.
It only made sense post covid that the market was going to go nuts, we are just catching up. Maybe next year will be the tipping point but many missed many good years of returns. It's also possible that the American consumer will continue to lead the world.
Though I suspect at some point the National Debt is going to bite us but I stopped fighting that war a long time ago being too conservative cost me too much money. It's going to happen, I just dont know when. We now pay more in interest per year on the national than the entire defense budget.
It is a house of cards but at the same time the rest of the world isnt exactly in good shape either.
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AG, while the economy is strong overall, and anyone in the market has done well over the past years, many are struggling. Wealth is moving towards the top. I believe this trend will continue; I hope I am wrong. Everyone has to eat.I actually believe we are living in the best of times (no secret there) and this economy is on fire, as well as the whole rest of the world investing in our stock market/ in our country. I mean, it doesnt get any better. Yeah, sure, at some point it will come down or level out but when is the question. I know people in forums that have been saying this for years and missed out on one of the greatest moves in history.
I know you are on the other coast. I see no one starving here and in the USA no one does. We provide free food for everyone, even free cell phones, health care and low cost internet. I dont think any time in our history did we give away so much social welfare.
Actually the average person in the USA weighs 25LBS more than the 1960s
We have found the problem!
This is a horrible, even deadly, statistic. Junk food perhaps?
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service, 10.2 percent (13.5 million) of US household has food insecurity in 2021.
Sure was and all or most of it on credit cards....not smart..
That must mean at one time 25% had food insecurity. The problem is, those people dont know all they have to do is apply and they get a free credit card to buy food. I mean, you cant help uninformed (to put it nicely) this is the animal kingdom as much as we may not want to admit it. People can only be given so much, the rest is up to them.
Yeah, it's the garbage we eat for sure. Just pass by any fast food place, heck they have to direct traffic outside of Chick Fil at dinner time. Very sad but again, no one is responsible but ourselves.
Walk in any supermarket. All one needs is protein, (meat, fish) some vegetables and fruit. So why all the other isles?
Still doesn't mean everyone is doing well--appearances can be deceiving. How many are driving on bald Chinese tires? putting off necessary repairs to house or car?
Some of this is self-inflicted. Some isn't. But due to our high level affluence it can be missed. I mean, do we expect to see people who are "poor" walk around in t-shirts with the sleeves ripped off, unlaundered clothing, or what have you? Just looking at the parking lot at your local diner doesn't tell you anything about those who aren't at the diner.
When my kids "stepped up" into middle school I went to one of the parent orientations (middle school is a different campus than grade school). I was saddened to hear that one of their programs was to provide kids with backpacks of food on the downlow. I wasn't sad that we had a program for that but that we had poor students in the community that would "need" this. When I go to our local grocery store, various other stores, or just walk down the street--I don't see poor people. Or at least I don't see what I think are poor people. I live in a lake region where million dollar homes surprises no one. But it's easy to miss all the cheap lots on the edge of town--no one pays attention to those houses.
The fact that we have "so much welfare" must tell us something. One could argue that it's not working, that this welfare state isn't fixing the problem--but that then proves there is a problem.
