Retirement Savers Lost $2 Trillion in the Stock Market

The Unretired Going Back To Work ...

We tell these people to deversify such as a SnP 500 and it dwn 40 % YTD! But the truth is these retired folks should not have been in stks altogether anyway if at all! Tell these folks how " poorly " stks have preformed over the last 10 & 20 yrs to now!

Ask yourself ! If your dwn say 50 % - how long n how much will the mkt have to gain for me to become whole. A cool 100 % my friends and that well take a decade at that! And mind you that doesn't take into acc't any inflation or lost money you would have made had you not suffered those heavy loses back in 2008 n 09 huh !

I've been retired 15 yrs now, with rental property and FDIC Cds @ 6% long term. Have three times the money I had 15 yrs ago without the worry and am debt free! 68 n smiling too!

Notsofast of SC @ Dec 11, 2008 20:13:55 PM

Class Action law suit

I also lost over half of my retirement fund. I also

had a Morgan Stanley advisor. I am 68 so there is no way to make up the lost funds , for I can't work another 37 years.

I just wonder if there will be a big lawsuit about this loss

of retiree's funds. There should be for not one time did anyone call me and tell me that I should have protected funds

or to move them to safer ground.

I am paying to have this company lose money for me and this is the second time this has happened. 2001 and 2008.

I am a caregiver for my husband 24/7. I thought I had someone that cared about my funds but evidently not.

Peggy Woolfork of OH @ Nov 26, 2008 09:25:03 AM

LOST RETIREMENT FUNDS

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MONEY LOST IN RETIREMENT FUNDS AND 401K'S AND HOW WAS IT LOST? WHERE DID THE ACTUAL MONEY GO?

CLAY HB

CLAYTON E WHITNEY of CA @ Oct 25, 2008 09:14:35 AM

retirement? the latest fiction....

Isn;t it charming that every article I read suggests that working longer-ie forever?--is the solution to an economic crisis for those 62, over which average working people had no control.....while those who engineered the crisis in their own interest have already walked away with billions....but almost every article also FAILS to mention the dilemma of those who retired 1 to 5 to 10 years ago an are now , in financial terms, up a proverbial creek....

nice economic system, great values--no?

WiseBird

kls of MA @ Oct 16, 2008 19:44:20 PM

It's always someone else's fault. Remember John Wayne?

It's always someone else's fault. Remember John Wayne? Then saddle up boys we have some bad guys to round up. But, we're going to find them in both the Democratic and Republican Parties, and on Wall Street, and in the previously run down neighborhoods of the rebuilt inner cities, where so many of the disadvantaged were helped into owning their own homes. To bad they couldn't afford them. That may explain why they destroyed them when they were evicted for non-payment of their mortgages. Sure we all wanted better, bigger, dream homes, and the good life. Now, a roof over our heads looks pretty good. I am 59 and I have every intention of continuing to invest in equities, as a matter of fact I believe most boomers need to re-educate theyselves about investing and the how-to's, and on using margin and options, and even Forex. If we're looking at 30 years of retirement, we're going to need to use every tool and means to leverage our returns, and hedge our investments to generate the returns needed to catchup and grow our capital to keep up and get ahead. The Pro's always want to know my Risk Tolerance? Well I don't like loses, but I am willing to work hard and apply the available knowledge to creating my investing plan to get the job done, and work my plan every market day. Good luck to us all. It's America, don't you just love it!

Robert Orange of GA @ Oct 16, 2008 16:22:07 PM

THE HOLE IS STILL THERE

WE NEED TO set rules for buying houses that protect us from a repeat now to build confidence.

ray roth of MO @ Oct 16, 2008 15:23:54 PM

Invest for income

My balance sheet has been murdered! I've "lost" over 50% in market value now. However, my stock holdings are mainly in high dividend paying stocks, REITS, and MLPs. While the fear causes fickle market prices to decline, the dividend money keeps rolling in! It's that income money that I rely on, not the sale of the stock at the whim of fickle market price. Since I don't plan to sell (unless they significantly cut dividends) my retirement income is much safer than those hoping a manic-depressive market prices agree with them. Too bad people can't figure that out.

Great time to buy MLPs and REITs!

jon of ID @ Oct 16, 2008 07:45:23 AM

burial

Dude! You really screwed up burying cash! You should have converted the cash to gold, and buried that. You might have the same number of bills buried, but each one is worth a lot less than it was when you buried it.

Gringo_Malo of TX @ Oct 09, 2008 16:46:55 PM