Checked 401K today after not looking in 3 months

[Anonymous]

Ugh. I looked at my 401K today after not looking for months. I max out every year (with catch up since I'm in my 50s) and every penny I've put towards it this year is gone, plus an additional $100 grand. So around $125K down since the start of the year. Is this thing going to turn around? And I know that some are going to say that I'm thinking about it wrong, that every cent of my paycheck that I've sent to my 401K this year means I'm buying deeply discounted stocks, etc. It just still feels like a gut punch to see that I'm $125K down. Others who want to commiserate?

[Anonymous]

I'm in the same boat. I'm trying to stay focused on the long term. The stock market always has ups and downs. At least right now we are buying cheaper shares that will hopefully appreciate in the next rally.

[Anonymous]

I just looked at mine. Down 20 percent this year. It will come back; the market is cyclical.

[Anonymous]

I looked at my balance last week. It was terrible. Then I remembered what I did in 2008, left it alone. In 2009 and 2010 the market rebounded and I was OK.

I'm not worrying about it. I still have another 20 years to go. Basically I'm betting on the US economy. If it goes down, 401k balance would be the least of my (our) problems.

[Anonymous]

Same boat. I’m the poster who asked on another thread whether to pay down the mortgage or to invest my $100k inheritance. After watching my investments continue to lose money I just paid down the mortgage. Felt a lot better about that. I’d imagine I would have invested that $100k and watch it lose 20% the next day. I know logically that it’s a marathon, not a sprint, but I’m down $86k this year and just can’t keep throwing that money down the toilet.

[Anonymous]

It could take a very long time to come back.

This isn't like 2008. The Fed put is gone. 2008-2021 was an anomaly driven by an excessively accommodating Fed. That era is over.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Biden!

[Anonymous]

I've also lost everything that I put in this year. Funds have only lost money despite aggressively saving. I wish that I'd not bothered to put anything in and instead invested in real estate, my home, or other. I know that it may come back in a few years but it is difficult not to be completely disheartened by it. We don't have a ton of savings to begin with so to watch it disappear immediately is upsetting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ugh. I looked at my 401K today after not looking for months. I max out every year (with catch up since I'm in my 50s) and every penny I've put towards it this year is gone, plus an additional $100 grand. So around $125K down since the start of the year. Is this thing going to turn around? And I know that some are going to say that I'm thinking about it wrong, that every cent of my paycheck that I've sent to my 401K this year means I'm buying deeply discounted stocks, etc. It just still feels like a gut punch to see that I'm $125K down. Others who want to commiserate?

Nope, the market is down forever, everything you've done is for naught.

[Anonymous]

Just think of it as an opportunity to buy more when prices are low. You don’t need the money tomorrow. I tell myself, “Stocks are on sale!”

[Anonymous]

I am only down 5% somehow. I'm no stock market genius, I do lifestyle funds and then don' t touch anything. maybe i'm too conservative normally?

[Anonymous]

Time in the market beats timing the market, during these down turns, people make the exact wrong move, they stop investing and often lock in losses by selling and only start investing again once the upturn has been well on its way. Keep on investing and dollar cost averaging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks Biden!

This makes no sense

[Anonymous]

Keep it in there. If youre not selling then you havent lost anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks Biden!

This makes no sense

I agree, Biden tanking the economy with record inflation doesn't make any sense.