Anyone else's 401K on fire right now?

[warthog]

I don't know the hows or whys, I just know that I have it invested in heavy growth areas. Either way, it is killing it right now.

I am 41.99% up for the year. Never seen that.

I know it could change tomorrow, and the balance doesn't really matter until 2042, but it is nice to see some pay off. I have been sinking 10-20% of my pay into this thing since 1998. Up until the past couple quarters, the totals of my contributions plus my employers, just about equaled my total. So basically, there was just as much money in it as I had put in.

Now, I am actually seeing some returns.

So, what is going on out there? Did I hit the right funds with my dart, or is the doom and gloom lifting?

[iceman]

Most of the people around here will tell you it is the last gasp of a system about to implode because of Obama.

Of course most of the people around here are retarded.

[cmeriptahoe]

Most likely whoever manages your 401k has reallocated it so a huge percentage is stock based. As you may know stocks have been on fire since about last Feb-March, hence your significant returns. At this point, you may want to diversify out some of the stock-based risk by picking up a larger proportion of lower-risk items such as bonds, real-estate, mutuals on the like. Nobody really knows where the market is going to go but if the doomsday peeps are right and you have some time till you are pulling out, you might as well shelve the risk for a little while and see where the economy heads.

(FWIW, I'm with Iceman.)

[hitek79]

Most of the people around here will tell you it is the last gasp of a system about to implode because of Obama.

Of course most of the people around here are retarded.

We're on the last gasp, but not because of Obama. Not because of Bush either. Because of 40 years of bad policy in a number of different areas that both Dems and Repubs have allowed to continually get re-elected.

[4matic]

SP 500 is up 57% in the last 12 months so you are actually lagging the benchmark growth index.

Sideways action at the old high and no volume usually leads to another leg up. A move through 1160 and 1200 is a done deal.

[4matic]

We're on the last gasp, but not because of Obama. Not because of Bush either. Because of 40 years of bad policy in a number of different areas that both Dems and Repubs have allowed to continually get re-elected.

Equity is one of the only assets left with true value in a globalized economy. I agree with your premise but not with regard to equity.

[DJSapp]

By on fire you mean reaching 2004 levels? Yeah, my funds are just about back to where they started.

And FWIW, my TRP international funds are outperforming my domestic 2:1 over a 6 year timeline.

[Rontele]

FRACTIONAL RESERVE BANKING. THE END!!11!! BANKS SPENDING YOUR MONEYS. RON PAUL, 2008

........

[hutash]

If all your money is in one fund (which it sounds like from your post,) it is time to diversify before this fund tanks. I have fund that are preforming that well, others not so well, but I also have funds that performed well a year and a half ago while others crashed and burned.

[QuikR12]

If all your money is in one fund (which it sounds like from your post,) it is time to diversify before this fund tanks. I have fund that are preforming that well, others not so well, but I also have funds that performed well a year and a half ago while others crashed and burned.

Exactly ^... My 401 did a rollercoaster last year, picking way up into the 40s after I threw it all into International funds, and since Q3 2009, has come back off. Time to split 50/50% between emerging International and domestic mid-caps.

Anybody else doing well? Whats your fund allocation?

[Poop~Ghost]

1 year return 58%, 3 year is -3%...

I'm currently at 85% stocks and I've toyed with the idea of moving it to about 15% stocks... damn, if I could just see into the future.

[4matic]

Exactly ^... My 401 did a rollercoaster last year, picking way up into the 40s after I threw it all into International funds, and since Q3 2009, has come back off. Time to split 50/50% between emerging International and domestic mid-caps.

Anybody else doing well? Whats your fund allocation?

I read a study that anaylzed market sectors and Mid-Cap Growth is the best performing domestic sector over the long term. It is the sweet spot of equities so to speak.

50% in Emerging Markets is pretty aggressive. The FTSE making a new high and leading the Blue Chip International sector higher is bullish overall.

[Art Shirk]

Yo, finance guys. I know I have read a specific thread on this subject but was wondering if you can recommend a finance book for beginners. Target audience being someone who has little to no knowledge but can pick shit up quickly. Right now I just call my finance guy and ask him whether I "gots me sum munny" this month.

[Downbound Train]

Most of the people around here will tell you it is the last gasp of a system about to implode because of Obama.

Of course most of the people around here are retarded.

SELL.................NOW!!!!!

[3snowboards]

2 years ago I thought the dow would be close to 20K by now.

[hutash]

SELL.................NOW!!!!!

...and buy tulips, dot.com stocks or real estate. Oh, and don't for get gold; jump on that bubble now.

[4matic]

...and buy tulips, dot.com stocks or real estate. Oh, and don't for get gold; jump on that bubble now.

Folks like DBT want systemic failure so they can be right. That's all they care about.

[warthog]

If all your money is in one fund (which it sounds like from your post,) it is time to diversify before this fund tanks. I have fund that are preforming that well, others not so well, but I also have funds that performed well a year and a half ago while others crashed and burned.

Didn't mean it to sound that way. I am spread out- about 20% mid cap, 10 int'l, 60 Equity Index Trust(SP500), and the rest in growth stocks.

I never really tanked with this mix. Never really killed it either though.

I am not into messing with this shit. It will be aggressively invested until I need to be safe. I can take the rollercoaster ride.

Hey- when shit is bad, my money buys more shares- right? That is fine with me.

[coreshot-tourettes]

I don't know the hows or whys, I just know that I have it invested in heavy growth areas. Either way, it is killing it right now.

I am 41.99% up for the year. Never seen that.

I know it could change tomorrow, and the balance doesn't really matter until 2042, but it is nice to see some pay off. I have been sinking 10-20% of my pay into this thing since 1998. Up until the past couple quarters, the totals of my contributions plus my employers, just about equaled my total. So basically, there was just as much money in it as I had put in.

Now, I am actually seeing some returns.

So, what is going on out there? Did I hit the right funds with my dart, or is the doom and gloom lifting?

The primary IBs (JPM, GS) have the direct backing of the only institution in the United States legally able to print money, and if you have enough money and buy heavy into S&P futes in the early hours, you can make the stock market go up as much as you like.

It's pretty blatant theft and fraud, but I think it's awesome - +52% in my retail brokerage account since 2007 as I realized that they literally were not going to let this ship go down, and were willing to spend trillions to do it. But risk 401k money? No way. And I think I know which indicators to watch so I can pull the Big Yellow Market Eject Handle correctly like last time. Plus the guys at GS effectively make money if the market goes up, and shove it off to the taxpayer if it goes down.

Other posters are right, 44% growth in your 401k is actually significantly underperforming this market, and your 44% is probably before fees. The amount of mutual funds that beat a standard S&P 500 index fund after fees is basically zero.

[warthog]

The primary IBs (JPM, GS) have the direct backing of the only institution in the United States legally able to print money, and if you have enough money and buy heavy into S&P futes in the early hours, you can make the stock market go up as much as you like.

It's pretty blatant theft and fraud, but I think it's awesome - +52% in my retail brokerage account since 2007 as I realized that they literally were not going to let this ship go down, and were willing to spend trillions to do it. But risk 401k money? No way. And I think I know which indicators to watch so I can pull the Big Yellow Market Eject Handle correctly like last time. Plus the guys at GS effectively make money if the market goes up, and shove it off to the taxpayer if it goes down.

Other posters are right, 44% growth in your 401k is actually significantly underperforming this market, and your 44% is probably before fees. The amount of mutual funds that beat a standard S&P 500 index fund after fees is basically zero.

60 percent is invested in the S&P Index Fund, so the others must be dragging it down. So, I guess keeping an eye on it in the short term is a good call. I don't tend to mess with it too much as far as my allocations. Maybe I'll re-think that strategy this coming year. What could it hurt?

[Benny Profane]

Most of the people around here will tell you it is the last gasp of a system about to implode because of Bush, Clinton and Reagan.

Fixed that for ya.

[iceman]

Fixed that for ya.

No you didn't, that's not what the majority (or at least the majority of those who feel compelled to lecture us all) thinks.

[Verde]

And I think I know which indicators to watch so I can pull the Big Yellow Market Eject Handle correctly like last time.

Any chance that you'd share your insight?

[Toadman]

I'm right at about the 57% mark for the past 12 month period. But I pulled 30% of my equities into bonds and MM funds back in Oct. of 2007. I already had about 15% in bonds/non equities, so basically half my money was in bonds and half in equities during 2008. Lost about 8% during 2008. Money got put back into equities in Jan. 2009, primarily because of a switch in 401(k) plan providers. Lucky me. Right now it's a mix of 75% U.S. growth and mid-caps, 10% foreign equities and 15% bond funds.

I have a separate rollover IRA that is just now back to where it was 3 years ago. (100% large cap) Never touched it.

Not sure where the market is going the end of this year. But the shipping index is trending positive, at least for the short term.

[Art Shirk]

Can someone recommend a book per my first post? Still wanna pick one up.