[USER]

Hello, Looking for some comfort.
I missed out on the bull run in 2023 and 2024 thanks to a bearish adviser.

Finally cut ties with him, and decided to do it solo with etf, set up a monthly standing order, and follow the simple path to wealth.

I did all that in the past 6-8 weeks. All I had to do was wait until early April. These tariffs are setting me back so much.

Sure I kept some cash to add to the positions knowing that we had to have a slowdown, sure it is a diversified portfolio and sure I am “only” 47 with 20 years ahead of me.

But I feel like the unluckiest investor. I will not sell come hell or high water.

[Shawn]

Everyone feels that way at some point in their investing journey, the very skittish drop out, never get back in and insult the stock market the rest of their life.

Don’t be that guy.

DCA every check into something cheap and diversified. Like VTI.

Unless the whole country goes bottom up, You’ll be happy you did.

[Mark]

I got shaken out in 1987. I got shaken out again in 2001. After that I did have an overweight in bonds which helped me psychologically stay invested through 2008/2009 even though I was unemployed (retired, but didn’t know it at that time) and if you look at the market since 2009 you can see I did well by remining in the market.

Of course I would be about 500% better off had I stayed in the market in 87 and 01 and invested regularly, but I am ok now only because I finally learned my lesson.

[Warwick]

I did the same. Put rental house sale proceeds of $650k in Feb and now I’ve lost $150k. Gutting.

I’m 55 so only have 10 years before I need it

[Tracy]

Hold the line and keep investing as it sinks. Be sure you have a decent emergency fund and enough that’s not volatile to last 5-10 years as you get closer to retirement.

[Sheila]

Go back and reread the chapter “There’s a major market crash coming”

[Allen]

You needs to sell ASAP! Jump back in when the market collapses.

[Steph]

I found an investment the other day that allows you to get the gains if it goes up and they refund you a portion if it goes down.

That’s where I’ll be.

[Tom]

You got the formula buy and hold, over and over. We are comfortably retired after 33 years of investing.

I’ve lost track of number of dips, crashes, periods of volatility we went through to get here.

Even now we are down 210k in the last few days. Is it fun, no. But it is part of investing.

Down times make the good times just that much sweeter.

Hang in there, this shall pass.

[Tom]

Stay the course! I had a similar experience with the Covid sell off. Mindset gets better the more time goes on.

In 20 years I can almost guarantee you will be happy you invested that initial amount.

[Jeff]

Entered in multiple buy orders today. S and p Bounced at -10% about to bounce at -20% . And if it blows through it will bounce at -35%. Bigger positions the lower it goes.

These levels have been respected many, many, many times..

[Dew]

I think the one big take away here is that you were not unlucky. If that’s your conclusion then you’ll just run into the same issue again and again.

The problem is that you tried to time the market.

Now I suppose the unlucky part is having a bad financial advisor who encouraged you to do that.

But timing the market doesn’t work, so the situation you’re in is exactly what we should expect from a market timer.

You should be optimistic and zoom out. Imagine yourself several years from now with a much bigger portfolio after staying invested in the market.

That’s the mindset to have to be a successful investor.

[Kristin]

How are the tariff setting. You back? Stocks have dropped and now you’re buying them on sale.

Doesn’t that put you ahead once they recover?

[Anca]

You should still have an advisor. I do know more than the average person about investing, and also do research like crazy, but I still have a guy I can bounce ideas off of.

You don’t need to have ALL of your investments with him. Just a thought.

Also, there’s plenty of time to buy.

There’s a consensus that this is still not the bottom…. Give it another 6-8 weeks

[Scott]

You are 3 months from retiring, or you’re already retired. Otherwise, sitting on the sidelines or selling, is just crazy stupid.

You haven’t lost a dime unless you sell.

Everything you buy right now is on sale relative to 10 yrs from now. You’re not unlucky, every penny you invest now will pay off in spades.

People selling when crap like this happens always wind up being broke and telling a story about how they used to be in the market, but the whole thing is rigged and it’s someone else’s fault why they’re broke.

Don’t be that person. Keep working, and keep buying. You’ll thank yourself 10 yrs from now.

[Tom]

Chin up. You can now buy stocks at 2023/24 prices so you haven’t missed out on anything.

[Author]

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