Investing Thread

[Hards Alumni]

"They are being fed a dystopian alternate reality"? LOL. Not even close to the dystopian alternate reality fed to the Democrat faithful by their favorite economists after Trump was elected. Your most famous and decorated said the US ecomony would collapse and usher in a world wide recession with no end in sight. Instead the US enjoyed the best year of market returns in 72 years! I'm sure you were outraged by his and other like minded idiots ridiculous predictions. I'm sure you called out all of the left wing sheeples who buried their money in the back yard based on the dire predictions they heard on MSNBC or even CNBC (which I admit I watch). I'm sure but I can't find any evidence of your outrage back then. How come?

Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow

"Remember that columnist that got his prediction totally wrong in 2015!!!?!!?? WHy d'int youSe sAY sUMppin' then??!?!? It's just exactly like a network creating a dystopian alternate reality 24/7/365."

[Skatastrophy]

I think people over 70 should have their driver's licenses revoked and parental controls on their TV and Internet. Time to start protecting our elders from grifters because they don't have the tools to protect themselves.

[Uncle Rico]

I think people over 70 should have their driver's licenses revoked and parental controls on their TV and Internet. Time to start protecting our elders from grifters because they don't have the tools to protect themselves.

I agree with this analysis

[Hards Alumni]

I think people over 70 should have their driver's licenses revoked and parental controls on their TV and Internet. Time to start protecting our elders from grifters because they don't have the tools to protect themselves.

I have had to have uncomfortable conversations with my parents and my wife's parents about media literacy.  I've determined that they're basically lost causes. 

None of them understand that they're being fed garbage based on what they've clicked on.

[forgetful]

There are more jobs than pre-Covid. And they're better paying, too.

But this is the Investing Thread.

The market is doing well.

This is all true. It also will not stop people from claiming that there aren't more jobs than pre-COVID, and that they aren't better paying...despite all evidence showing otherwise.

[tower912]

Data, not evidence.

[Lennys Tap]

"Remember that columnist that got his prediction totally wrong in 2015!!!?!!?? WHy d'int youSe sAY sUMppin' then??!?!? It's just exactly like a network creating a dystopian alternate reality 24/7/365."
[/https://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/donald-trump-wall-street-effect-markets-230164

It wasn't just your most famous and decorated economist. Lots of others. You watch 5 minutes of television and draw bizarre conspiracy theories about what a network is "creating". But the economists calling for crashes if or because Trump won weren't fomenting panic, they were just bad forecasters. Why? Because of your politics, because of your biases.

[JWags85]

I have had to have uncomfortable conversations with my parents and my wife's parents about media literacy.  I've determined that they're basically lost causes. 

None of them understand that they're being fed garbage based on what they've clicked on.

Its actually one place where boomers and zoomers are actually very much alike, albeit with fairly different outcomes.

[Hards Alumni]

Its actually one place where boomers and zoomers are actually very much alike, albeit with fairly different outcomes.

Should definitely be a course in high school.

[forgetful]

Data, not evidence.

Now you have me questioning whether grammatically I used the right word. I think evidence is right there, as it is data applied to question/hypothesis, but I was never known for my English grammar abilities.

[Pakuni]

Should definitely be a course in high school.

At least Illinois is getting one thing right.

https://www.npr.org/2022/09/14/1122895362/illinois-now-requires-media-literacy-instruction-in-its-high-school-curriculum

[MU82]

As I said earlier in this thread, there were Obama detractors and Trump detractors who got out of the market because they let their political biases influence their investing decisions ... and they missed out on one of the great bull markets ever.

Many of those incorrect people were "foremost experts" at the time.

Some made similar mistakes a year ago ... and missed out on huge gains in 2023.

Some of those people are still trying to justify their incorrect decisions by claiming the current economy is in horrible shape. They need to believe that, both as cover for their poor decisions and to satisfy their political biases.

[Lennys Tap]

As I said earlier in this thread, there were Obama detractors and Trump detractors who got out of the market because they let their political biases influence their investing decisions ... and they missed out on one of the great bull markets ever.

Many of those incorrect people were "foremost experts" at the time.

Some made similar mistakes a year ago ... and missed out on huge gains in 2023.

Some of those people are still trying to justify their incorrect decisions by claiming the current economy is in horrible shape. They need to believe that, both as cover for their poor decisions and to satisfy their political biases.

Mike,

Measured and fair assessment. People on both sides make stupid mistakes because of their politics. "Experts" on both sides make dumb recommendations because of their politics.


Anyone who thinks this in a one sided issue/one way street is dumb, dishonest or both.

As far as predicting that this year was one to stay out of the market, it may have been prudent entering the year. 2022 was the 3rd worst year in the last 50 for the S+P (-19.44%). But as the year unfolded and inflation eased without recession the data driven were back in.

[reinko]

Mike,

Measured and fair assessment. People on both sides make stupid mistakes because of their politics. "Experts" on both sides make dumb recommendations because of their politics.


Anyone who thinks this in a one sided issue/one way street is dumb, dishonest or both.

As far as predicting that this year was one to stay out of the market, it may have been prudent entering the year. 2022 was the 3rd worst year in the last 50 for the S+P (-19.44%). But as the year unfolded and inflation eased without recession the data driven were back in.

Yet you use terms like "left wing sheeples"

[Lennys Tap]

Yet you use terms like "left wing sheeples"

I used mean spirited hyperbole in response to Smitty's mean spirited hyperbole. Apologies, but sometimes it's hard for me to give measured responses to the unreasonable.

[SoCalEagle]

This is just wrong. There are more people employed now than ever.

Also, U.S. output of oil is at an all time high.  However, if you listen to the right wing talking heads you would think that Biden has ceased all drilling.  All time high, but you will be told by the right that we produced more under Trump.  People make decisions off this kind of bad information, and sometimes they get hurt. 

[MU82]

Mike,

Measured and fair assessment. People on both sides make stupid mistakes because of their politics. "Experts" on both sides make dumb recommendations because of their politics.


Anyone who thinks this in a one sided issue/one way street is dumb, dishonest or both.

As far as predicting that this year was one to stay out of the market, it may have been prudent entering the year. 2022 was the 3rd worst year in the last 50 for the S+P (-19.44%). But as the year unfolded and inflation eased without recession the data driven were back in.

Agree on most of this, Tony. The problem with deciding to sell everything and stay out of the market is that Mr. Market doesn't ring a bell to tell you when to get back in. It's psychologically difficult to plow significant $$$ into a falling market.

I am a fairly conservative, buy-and-holdish investor. I mostly invest in large-cap, blue-chip, U.S. corporations, the majority of which pay reliable, growing dividends. We also own some bonds and cash.

Our portfolio didn't suffer anywhere near the loss that the market did in 2022. As a tradeoff, our portfolio hasn't matched the market's gain this year, though we did A-OK. Over the 2-year stretch, we outperformed the market.

One thing we didn't do either year was try to time the market based on pundit predictions or our own political biases. Steady hands; long-term plans. No matter who is in the White House or Congress or the governors' mansions, year after year, decade after decade.

Boring!

[Pakuni]

Also, U.S. output of oil is at an all time high.  However, if you listen to the right wing talking heads you would think that Biden has ceased all drilling.  All time high, but you will be told by the right that we produced more under Trump.  People make decisions off this kind of bad information, and sometimes they get hurt.

Yes!
I've had this discussion with right-leaning friends more than I'd like to admit, and they're consistently surprised when I pull out the receipts.
Want to shock people? Ask them which administration approved more drilling permits, the current one or the previous one.

[MU82]

If this exact economy had taken place during most of the Nixon, Reagan, Bush Sr or Dubya administrations, they and their people would have touted it as healthy and growing. If it had taken place during the Trump administration, he'd have touted it as the best in the history of the United States.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

I used mean spirited hyperbole in response to Smitty's mean spirited hyperbole. Apologies, but sometimes it's hard for me to give measured responses to the unreasonable.

Nah, it was more like angrily claiming I was lying about being exposed to Fox Business News and then pretending bothsiderism.

[The Sultan]

Nah, it was more like angrily claiming I was lying about being exposed to Fox Business News and then pretending bothsiderism.

Bothsiderism that actually didn't happen.

[Jockey]

If this exact economy had taken place during most of the Nixon, Reagan, Bush Sr or Dubya administrations, they and their people would have touted it as healthy and growing. If it had taken place during the Trump administration, he'd have touted it as the best in the history of the United States.

Kudlow looked extremely constipated when his republican guest economist touted the great economy.

[Lennys Tap]

Smitty and Sultan, what a pair.

[Jockey]

Smitty and Sultan, what a pair.

I agree. Two of our better posters.