Anonymous wrote:Isn't it simply math, the Dow and the Nasdaq 100 have had days up 1.2%, so if you are fully invested that is a gain of $53k on that day. You have a good sized portfolio, get use to the dramatic $$ swings. Congrats

Indeed.

Isn't it simply math, the Dow and the Nasdaq 100 have had days up 1.2%, so if you are fully invested that is a gain of $53k on that day. You have a good sized portfolio, get use to the dramatic $$ swings. Congrats

Anonymous wrote:Op here. $4.4 about.

I know that it sometimes goes down. That’s not my point. I know that there have been plenty of better days, too.

My point is that the daily dollar changes, even on days where there is no big financial news, are staggering. Especially because we both work normal jobs.

I agree that long term, it will go up. I would imagine that anyone who disagrees with that would choose different investments.

Yes, I can't disagree with that statement. I have days when my portfolio went up by 100k+ and days when it went down by 100k+ but that doesn't change our life style. I still drive 2004 honda and look for sales when we shop, and we budget our day-to-day expenses based on our income.

BTW, your post made me look at our gain last two days. Up around 110k so, yeah, market's been good.

Same here, but I make this money on much smaller amount in my taxable account. I made it on election day as I slept.
In my smaller tax free account, I sell my stock to 'lock in' the gains and sit in cash. I will go looking for something else that is cheap or wait for a down day.
If my stock goes from $15 to $22 and then back to $15, I'm just trying to catch the difference. The bigger the difference I catch, the bigger my return.
I have $45k in one account. This would give me 3000 shares at $15, right. Every dollar this stock goes up, I make $3000.
Well, next week I have $48k to make the same $3000. Gets much easier. Ofcourse I won't get it right every week, but I have two such accounts, which give me another chance if I go upside down in one. Thing usually turn around very fast. I really try to wait for the bottom prices for the 5 stocks I use. I know them well.
I need the down days more than I need the up days. NFA.
I would not do it with the big account as it is a taxable account.

Op here. $4.4 about.

I know that it sometimes goes down. That’s not my point. I know that there have been plenty of better days, too.

My point is that the daily dollar changes, even on days where there is no big financial news, are staggering. Especially because we both work normal jobs.

I agree that long term, it will go up. I would imagine that anyone who disagrees with that would choose different investments.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pain will be that much greater when going opposite direction

+1

Not if you don't sell, dollar cost average, and stay the course over the long term in an index fund that tracks the S&P 500. It's a constant upward trajectory when you look at it that way. You're buying on sale when it goes the opposite direction.

Anonymous wrote:Pain will be that much greater when going opposite direction

+1

On how much pricipal, OP?

Pain will be that much greater when going opposite direction

I assume mine went up, but I don't watch on the bad days so I don't watch on the good days.

Op - what was the gain on VTSAX last two days? 2% or so? I wasn't tracking.

How much do you have in the pot to start with, OP?

I mean, that's great OP and so have I, but you can't look at it that way. The day before you lost, and the day after you probably will as well. There have been much larger two-day gains, in fact, than the last two. The last two weren't all that.

Easy come easy go. Don’t get too excited.

I made $60k in the past two days. (Index funds.) It’s a brag, and obnoxious, but not intended that way. It’s more surreal for me, when you get to this point where the snowball is really picking up mass and growing quickly, beyond what we could meaningfully contribute at this point.