I have mixed feelings when the market is doing well while people are losing their jobs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nothing prevents anyone from owning stock and from participating in the fortunes of the companies whose shares they buy. No reason to sympathize with people who choose not to be investors. You can open a brokerage account at some firms with $0, and some require maintaining a balance of only $100 or more. Many brokers allow tradiing with very small amounts, regardless of the minimum opening balance.

Mighty oaks from little acorns grow. Sow nothing, reap nothing.

For all your money, you are very, very sheltered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know it's a terrible thing to say, but for the sake of new and younger investors we need a sustained correction in this market.

Don't blame corporations. Our greed is to blame. There used to be a time when a 7% return was amazing. Heck even a 5% is nothing to looked down upon.

Now forget it. People are making assumptions of yearly 10%+ return year after it's not sustainable.

Unfortunately this greed doesn't end in finance..we see it everywhere. We want bigger and faster athletes. We want more home runs. We want bigger homes.

We want more more more.

We will pay a steep price for this greed.

The greed is driven by fear.
No one wants to be the ones left behind in a game that increasingly results in winner-take-all, so they do their best to be the ones at the top of the K.

Very true. I wonder if this the reason gambling is significantly up. I'm very concerned for the younger generation particularly with their appetite for gambling. To me it seems like they may not see a future for themselves or the country.

Seriously, gambling on the color of the Gatorade shower on the winning coach? Wow

This administration wants to tp deregulate everything and takes a hand off approach..of course many of them are rich and their kids will be okay.

But when your own allies in Utah think you have gone too far and will sure you if needed, that:s all you need to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nothing prevents anyone from owning stock and from participating in the fortunes of the companies whose shares they buy. No reason to sympathize with people who choose not to be investors. You can open a brokerage account at some firms with $0, and some require maintaining a balance of only $100 or more. Many brokers allow tradiing with very small amounts, regardless of the minimum opening balance.

Mighty oaks from little acorns grow. Sow nothing, reap nothing.

For all your money, you are very, very sheltered.

Not at all. I did, however, start investing while in college and never stopped. I prioritized savings and investments over spending, living well below my means in order to do so. What did you do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nothing prevents anyone from owning stock and from participating in the fortunes of the companies whose shares they buy. No reason to sympathize with people who choose not to be investors. You can open a brokerage account at some firms with $0, and some require maintaining a balance of only $100 or more. Many brokers allow trading with very small amounts, regardless of the minimum opening balance.

Mighty oaks from little acorns grow. Sow nothing, reap nothing.

So tone deaf. $100 invested in VTC isn’t going to replace lost income and benefits of a job.

$100 invested by a high school student with a part-time job, every month for 50 years until eligibility for Social Security would grow to nearly $1.8M at the historic market long-term return of 10%. Invest a little more each month as earnings grow and the ending balance which be much larger, much sooner. Tone deaf, or merely aware of the basic mathematics of compounding?

[Anonymous]

My DH and I are currently high income but are living frugally and investing every single extra penny. I think we are going through a major economic shift due to AI and most people will be on the losing end. We will have super elites and then everyone else. Investing might be our only hope. W2 wage income is going to be harder and harder going forward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nothing prevents anyone from owning stock and from participating in the fortunes of the companies whose shares they buy. No reason to sympathize with people who choose not to be investors. You can open a brokerage account at some firms with $0, and some require maintaining a balance of only $100 or more. Many brokers allow trading with very small amounts, regardless of the minimum opening balance.

Mighty oaks from little acorns grow. Sow nothing, reap nothing.

So tone deaf. $100 invested in VTC isn’t going to replace lost income and benefits of a job.

$100 invested by a high school student with a part-time job, every month for 50 years until eligibility for Social Security would grow to nearly $1.8M at the historic market long-term return of 10%. Invest a little more each month as earnings grow and the ending balance which be much larger, much sooner. Tone deaf, or merely aware of the basic mathematics of compounding?

Okay? They will be 70 then, what is your point? We are talking about ages when losing your job matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nothing prevents anyone from owning stock and from participating in the fortunes of the companies whose shares they buy. No reason to sympathize with people who choose not to be investors. You can open a brokerage account at some firms with $0, and some require maintaining a balance of only $100 or more. Many brokers allow trading with very small amounts, regardless of the minimum opening balance.

Mighty oaks from little acorns grow. Sow nothing, reap nothing.

So tone deaf. $100 invested in VTC isn’t going to replace lost income and benefits of a job.

$100 invested by a high school student with a part-time job, every month for 50 years until eligibility for Social Security would grow to nearly $1.8M at the historic market long-term return of 10%. Invest a little more each month as earnings grow and the ending balance which be much larger, much sooner. Tone deaf, or merely aware of the basic mathematics of compounding?

Okay? They will be 70 then, what is your point? We are talking about ages when losing your job matters.

The point, very obviously, is that taking responsibility for your financial future, whatever it holds, is within anyone's grasp. it is not dependent upon very high earnings, consistent employment, inherited wealth, or winning the lottery. Those who spend everything they bring in are ill-prepared for life's ups and downs; time and discipline are all that is needed to be able to "do well" no matter what. Anyone claiming otherwise is short-sighted and undereducated about personal finance.

In the example provided, the amounts invested are laughably small, appropriate for a high schooler with a part-time job. Any adult should be able to do much better, resulting in much more saved in their 30s, 40s, and beyond. By mid-career they should have plenty in reserve to weather economic cycles even if faced with a period of unemployment, especially if they have worked hard and built a resume which makes them a desirable employee and not just someone killing time collecting a paycheck in return for minimum effort.

Losing a job is no joke, but it need not be a disaster for those who prepared for the possibility. It becomes a speed bump, not a complete derailment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/26/block-laying-off-about-4000-employees-nearly-half-of-its-workforce.html

I have mixed feelings when the market is doing well while people are losing their jobs

I probably have shares of this company or ones like it that cut people to prop up their stock price.

On one hand we complain about companies laying off people, but we sure do like it when stock prices go up.

So sell or donate your stock. Next question

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/26/block-laying-off-about-4000-employees-nearly-half-of-its-workforce.html

I have mixed feelings when the market is doing well while people are losing their jobs

I probably have shares of this company or ones like it that cut people to prop up their stock price.

On one hand we complain about companies laying off people, but we sure do like it when stock prices go up.

It’s called capitalism. Businesses are there to make money not be a charity. If cutting unnecessary jobs is the means to boost profits or stay solvent then so be it. if you don’t like it then move to a socialist country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nothing prevents anyone from owning stock and from participating in the fortunes of the companies whose shares they buy. No reason to sympathize with people who choose not to be investors. You can open a brokerage account at some firms with $0, and some require maintaining a balance of only $100 or more. Many brokers allow trading with very small amounts, regardless of the minimum opening balance.

Mighty oaks from little acorns grow. Sow nothing, reap nothing.

So tone deaf. $100 invested in VTC isn’t going to replace lost income and benefits of a job.

$100 invested by a high school student with a part-time job, every month for 50 years until eligibility for Social Security would grow to nearly $1.8M at the historic market long-term return of 10%. Invest a little more each month as earnings grow and the ending balance which be much larger, much sooner. Tone deaf, or merely aware of the basic mathematics of compounding?

Okay? They will be 70 then, what is your point? We are talking about ages when losing your job matters.

The point, very obviously, is that taking responsibility for your financial future, whatever it holds, is within anyone's grasp. it is not dependent upon very high earnings, consistent employment, inherited wealth, or winning the lottery. Those who spend everything they bring in are ill-prepared for life's ups and downs; time and discipline are all that is needed to be able to "do well" no matter what. Anyone claiming otherwise is short-sighted and undereducated about personal finance.

In the example provided, the amounts invested are laughably small, appropriate for a high schooler with a part-time job. Any adult should be able to do much better, resulting in much more saved in their 30s, 40s, and beyond. By mid-career they should have plenty in reserve to weather economic cycles even if faced with a period of unemployment, especially if they have worked hard and built a resume which makes them a desirable employee and not just someone killing time collecting a paycheck in return for minimum effort.

Losing a job is no joke, but it need not be a disaster for those who prepared for the possibility. It becomes a speed bump, not a complete derailment.

No one making less than $100k is going to save up enough money by age 40 to never work again, unless they have family money or take some huge gamble on crypto or prediction markets. 70% of US households make less than that.

That’s why most people are giving up: https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2025/09/23/young-people-crypto-meme-stocks-options-risk-financial-nihilism.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DH and I are currently high income but are living frugally and investing every single extra penny. I think we are going through a major economic shift due to AI and most people will be on the losing end. We will have super elites and then everyone else. Investing might be our only hope. W2 wage income is going to be harder and harder going forward.

We reached the same conclusion and are doing the exact same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DH and I are currently high income but are living frugally and investing every single extra penny. I think we are going through a major economic shift due to AI and most people will be on the losing end. We will have super elites and then everyone else. Investing might be our only hope. W2 wage income is going to be harder and harder going forward.

We reached the same conclusion and are doing the exact same.

Same. I sold my house earlier this year after realizing I needed more cash flow and I am so glad I did.

I feel like I have been acting like a maniac lately questioning every dollar I spend of it's absolutely needed.

[Anonymous]

Yep. Maxing out every retirement account and tax advantaged savings vehicle at the moment. About 1/3 of gross income. Living much more frugal. I figure it’s either frugal now when I have control or frugal later when I don’t.

[Anonymous]

The market is not the economy and the economy is not the market.
I think the market finds out things beforehand, adjusts expectations, so not reactive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DH and I are currently high income but are living frugally and investing every single extra penny. I think we are going through a major economic shift due to AI and most people will be on the losing end. We will have super elites and then everyone else. Investing might be our only hope. W2 wage income is going to be harder and harder going forward.

Investing in what…if you believe this then read the Centrini report which just came out…the natural end to this is that the market craters like 35% because of the bloodbath of white collar workers which drive the economy.

You can’t believe what you believe and then just turn around and buy stocks…at the very least start loading up on bonds because interest rates will plummet.