What should I do with my stocks?

[CloudStrife]

Right now I've have some stock in a small biotech co, a small coal co, and 2 ETFs that short financials and real estate. The 2 companies are a high risk/reward type thing, and I have the shorts because I think things are going to get worse. What I'm concerned with is the deferred compensation program I have at work. Every paycheck a little is automatically taken out direction and invested in funds of my choosing. This isn't my retirement. It just allows me to invest in stocks pre-taxes. So far, since I've begun working where I am, I'm up 27%. Should I just pull out the funds I do have now and stop putting into the program? The future is uncertain, and I'd rather not go back into the red.

 

[Guate_shooter]

Will you get penalized if you do?

 

[CloudStrife]

Will you get penalized if you do?

I don't think so. I'll check with some co-workers. I'll have to pay tax on it of course.

 

[Guate_shooter]

Check and see if you can somehow flip it within the same company for example being able to invest on a low gain secure deal this way you dont have to pay and you are still making money off from it and your risk of loosing is minimum.

 

[Paintball]

Check and see if you can somehow flip it within the same company for example being able to invest on a low gain secure deal this way you dont have to pay and you are still making money off from it and your risk of loosing is minimum.

+1 Good advice.

 

[jimdana1942]

I tell you what. The stock market is nothing but one big gambling scam. It is manipulated on a daily basis.

 

[themcfarland]

Companies will expect to gain 3.5 % more jobs this yer than previous..

If you have stock in companies that gamble on it getting worse than you might lose..

I wouldnt put it in a shrimp business right now, or BP for that matter..

If you can roll it to a deferred IRA I would.. but where from there? Maybe healthcare since they are the only ones who seem to be getting raises above 3 % annually

 

[CloudStrife]

Isn't unemployment still increasing? The problems haven't been fixed. Europe is getting worse every day, and what happens over there affects us. I don't see it getting anything but worse. The question is when.

 

[Guate_shooter]

BP could be the perfect investment for somebody who likes to take a HIGH risk, if their market value drops to dirt after all the issues it would be the perfect time to buy and let it grow back up and sell at that time, they will never go broke if anything they will split, just a thought.

 

[CloudStrife]

I re-allocated my investments. I split them between the highest returning high risk fund, which also had the biggest differential between loses in 2008 and gains in 2009, and a more conservative fund. I was in 3 higher risk funds before.
The high risk fund is in emerging markets... mostly foreign companies. The more conservative fund is a large cap fund with some American companies in it.

 

[blackened1313]

BP could be the perfect investment for somebody who likes to take a HIGH risk, if their market value drops to dirt after all the issues it would be the perfect time to buy and let it grow back up and sell at that time, they will never go broke if anything they will split, just a thought.

I was just about to say this. When It drops to dirt buy. They will recover.

 

[CloudStrife]

I don't know if BP will drop to dirt. They aren't Citigroup or BAC.

 

[CloudStrife]

I just transferred my balance to a fixed income fund, which is supposed to not have direct ties to the stock market and has a return rate of 3.75%. I think that's the best I can do for now. Just trying to cut my losses as best as I can.

 

[sgt z]

Buy Low Sell High, best advice for free here on BS

 

[flamatrix99]

Apple and Microsoft have been very good to me. I wish I would have bought Google when it was $60/share.

 

[CloudStrife]

Buy Low Sell High, best advice for free here on BS

I should try that. I'll let you know how it works out.

Apple and Microsoft have been very good to me. I wish I would have bought Google when it was $60/share.

I have problems with certain corporate donations of MS. Apple has shot up from a year ago - but I sold mine when it was bouncing up and down around $100. I swear I have the worst luck. I could be sitting on ~$60K or so right now if I had kept CTIC and sold my 20k shares at $3 (I bought them at $.10)
I'm just playing it safe now. I don't know what the immediate future holds, so I don't feel like gambling with my luck. The long term is most definitely bad, so my luck won't bite me there.

 

[Gus McCrae]

You know rockemup does some sweet cammo jobs on rifles. I'm sure he could do the same with your stocks.

 

[VeedUp]

at least your young enough to take risk and get back up if knocked down.

 

[thatwhichisnt]

Sell them and get out of the market while you can.

 

[CloudStrife]

The only actual stocks I own now are a small biotech co (high risk, high reward) and two funds that short the financial and real estate markets (they go up when the market goes down).