Tag: stock market

John was a successful dentist who managed his own money his entire life and prided himself on his financial acumen. When he retired, he saw no reason to change. Instead of kicking back and enjoying a well-earned life of leisure, John became not only financially invested in the markets, but emotionally invested as well; much to the detriment of his personal life—and his money.

John would wake up early and seclude himself downstairs with three screens. He would look at research before the market opened. He would be grouchy when the market closed if he hadn’t done well that day. Even if he went on vacation, he was tethered to Wall Street.

If you’ve finally decided to take the plunge with your partner and invest in the stock market, here are five important things you should consider when investing:

1. Take the long view: Despite booms and busts, remember that over the last 100+ years, the stock market has historically performed better than bonds and real estate, and certainly better than cash sitting in a bank account. One thousand dollars invested in 1900 would have been worth close to $20 million in 1999! A 10+ year time horizon can help you keep perspective and weather the ups and downs of the market.

Nearly 8 in 10 (78%) of U.S. adults lose sleep over daily stresses like work, relationships, and more, according to a new report. More than half (56%) of Americans, ages 18 and older, toss and turn over at least one money issue. The biggest money stressor: everyday expenses, which nearly 1 in 3 (32%) say they occasionally lose sleep over.

Other than everyday expenses, the most popular financial insomnia contributors include saving enough money for retirement (24%), health care or insurance bills (22%), the ability to pay credit card debt (18%), mortgage or rent payments (18%), educational expenses (11%) and stock market volatility (5%). Those who are losing sleep over money include:

According to the Washington Post, economic growth was slow in the United States during the first quarter of 2017, moving along at only 0.7 percent.

The number is a big drop off from the 2.1 percent growth experienced by the nation in the final quarter of 2016 and a long way from President Donald Trump’s promise of 3 percent economic growth during his time in office.

"In the twentieth century, the United States endured two world wars and other traumatic and expensive military conflicts; the Depression; a dozen or so recessions and financial panics; oil shocks; a flu epidemic; and the resignation of a disgraced president. Yet the Dow rose from 66 to 11,497." ~Warren Buffett

Since the financial crisis hit back in 2007, many Americans have kept a wary eye on the stock market. After years of dismal prospects, they just can’t quite come around to the idea that the stock market is the best place to invest their money. And for good reason. After all, the past 10-13 years have been coined the "Lost Decade" and make up what has been one of the worst 10-year periods for the U.S. economy since the 1930s. However

Perhaps the most famous newspaper headline of all time appeared in the New York City Variety on October 30, 1929, the day following the massive sell-off in the stock market known as Black Tuesday. It read: "Wall Street Lays An Egg." A period of economic malaise followed, culminating in a worldwide depression lasting throughout the 1930s that strained the very fabric of society. That financial cataclysm shattered the confidence of a full generation of Americans in stock investment. Many never returned.