Will you put your hard-earned money in the stock market?

[Cali_Democrat]

After witnessing a 1000 point drop in a matter of minutes, do you trust the stock market enough to put your money in it?

I would imagine that after what happened in 2008 and yesterday, people would be wary of the market.

What say you?

[DevonRex]

1. We certainly don't have our money in stocks.

We have the money in our accounts invested in other things.

[Arctic Dave]

2. I am still making my normal work contributions but as for

putting extra money into my other accounts, I froze all my input into them and decided to use that money to pay down my few debts.

[Johonny]

12. me too

My 401K I just set on auto pilot and look at every quarter. If I were closer to retirement I'd have moved my money long ago. Since I'm not I really don't get that worked up on the day to day movement of the market.

[gleaner]

3. I said no ...

The stock market is very unpredictable and I don't have enough money to gamble with it. I don't think it is the best bet for people who do not have a lot of disposable income because it is prone to swift ups and downs. One down if you invest in the wrong place, and your money is gone.

This is especially true now when the whole economy is depressed, jobs are scarce and people have to mind their money as they have not had to do in years. The stock market is a key economic indicator of how things are going with our economy, but it is not the whole story. If it was we would be bleeding from our eyeballs after yesterday.

[Blue_In_AK]

4. We lost $60,000 out of our IRAs in 2008,

even though we took our money out of the stock market early on in the crash. We're not taking any more chances. We may not be making much money with our money market accounts or whatever they are, but we're not losing any either.

[DevonRex]

11. Mine got hit particularly hard in 2000 (I think).

And it's just now back to that level now. No way will I risk it in stocks ever again.

[slackmaster]

5. I've been putting most of mine into collectible firearms lately

I have some in the stock market, and a lot in my home.

[KonaKane]

6. My wife is a day trader, and she has been making money all this week

even through the Greek crisis and everything else. It seems that, regardless of what you have heard, the sky is not falling and it is possible to make money even from falling share prices. I don't know how to do it - but she does.

[conspirator]

8. You have to be a Pro to make money. Excluding the dividends it's a zero sum game.

If your wife made money someone lost.

[KonaKane]

10. After fees and commissions, she averaged $150 a day profit.

So she must be a pro.

[htuttle]

23. Meh

I used to make that driving a cab.

:shrug:

[Cali_Democrat]

9. Typically people benefit from falling share prices by buying put options and/or selling short. n/t

[ima_sinnic]

7. about 6 months before it tanked in 2008, I called Sharebuilder and said

the whole thing was rigged and about to blow and I wanted to sell everything that wouldn't cost me more to sell than I'd make by selling. The guy on the other end was, like, oh yeah, whatever ... I've always wondered if he thought of me when it blew.

I'd started buying small amounts, a fraction of a share here and there until I had a small "mutual fund" of my own creation--until GWB came into ofc and I completely lost confidence in it and refused to buy anymore. At one point my fund did earn a little, but after ~8 yrs, I basically broke even.

[Demobrat]

13. I own a few individual stocks.

Sometimes I buy them when I feel like gambling. But my real savings, the money I can't afford to lose, is in fixed income funds and CDs. I do. not. trust. mutual funds. There's way too much room for shenanigans - as evidence by the fact that I can't think of a mutual fund company off the top of my head that's never been involved in a scandal (they may very well exist - I just don't know about them).

[htuttle]

14. I just spoke to my broker, and he assured me that my retirement fund is secure

I went with this guy after he emailed me out of the blue one day and seemed very sincere. His rates are very low, too.

BTW, it turns out that he is a nephew of former President Babangida of Nigeria. Small world, eh?

[CrispyQ]

15. I'd rather go to Vegas.

At least I'll have fun betting against the house there.

[JuniperLea]

16. Unless you're good at calls, puts, and shorts...

This is not a market to be played with.

It's organized, legal gambling... I used to have a trading license... no more no more no more... evil, evil business.

[metalbot]

17. Calls, puts, and shorts are by definition gambling

Since they are all bets on stock price direction.

Investing in stocks for value is a completely different proposition. Buy stocks when you can say "This is a company I want to own", not "This is a company that I hope to sell".

[JuniperLea]

18. Investing in stocks for value...

Is still gambling. There's no guarantee... you may as well play the ponies:) What's the point in investing in a company "I want to own" if I don't sell off at some point?

The only time I was happy to be in stocks was when I had options, and employee stock purchases. I made a killing on my AIG employee stock purchases... and thankfully found another job and sold that stock (at a delicious profit) long before the troubles surfaced. So now I'm a little sour on employee stock as well.

I don't gamble... I don't have the heart for it anymore.

[Statistical]

20. You are aware that options can be used to reduce risk.

For example say you own 100 shares of PG at $62 you like the company and the dividend and for tax reasons you don't want to sell.

However you think the company will have difficulty breaking through $64. You could sell June $64 call against your share and pocket the premium. If the stock trades above $64 at expiration you will be forced to sell at $64 however the call premium if done right can offload risk to speculator and boost overall return.

[DireStrike]

19. The stock market is a joke - I take advantage of my employer's matching 401k for laughs.

Could work out, probably won't. At some point if there is a significant amount in there I'll see about moving it out of the market if that's possible.

[kentauros]

21. No.

I consider myself in an extreme minority in that if I invest in a company, it's be because I believe in what they're doing and want to see them succeed. Profit is secondary, if it registers at all.

At this moment in my life, I have nothing to invest, so the point is rather moot.

[Chemical Bill]

22. I put mine into groceries and home repair. n/t