User Comments

1. 

   9/17/08

   fated82

   Is it paper value?

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2. 

   9/17/08

   tjefferson85

   That's an insane amount of money, regardless of what form it is in!

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3. 

   9/17/08

   eggmag

   Its mainly paper loss as most of it was paper profit. Notice how all of them are financial companies that held funds so their own values were inflated because stock prices were inflated- a double bubble if you will.
   
   It's the same with the price of oil right now- suddenly because it has gone below US$100 it means the economy is not doing as well. In the first place, the price went up to ridiculous heights due to speculation and is only settling down now. Analysts will make the most ridiculous explanations for market highs and lows simply because they have to come up with something, not that it has anything to do with actual cause and effect.
   
   2007 was a great year for those who got out- not those who got into the stock market.

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   1. 

      9/17/08

      Manictastic

      And I think now is a great time to get into the stock markets, especially financials (the ones who won't go bust, that is) since they are close to rockbottom. Maybe wait until December, things should've settled down by then.
   2. 

      9/17/08

      donkeySOUP

      //Analysts will make the most ridiculous explanations for market highs and lows simply because they have to come up with something//
      
      Rightly said! Not just 1 company, it's 3 and that too among the best. Where did the ivy league educated blue-eyed boys go wrong? When they have the best brains on their rolls, they are not supposed to reach the bankruptcy stage !! How can they fail collectively?
   3. 

      9/17/08

      johnsblogs42

      WSJ says otherwise on the "speculation" angle.
      
      tinyurl.com/6ys6sc
4. 

   9/17/08

   lvs

   it wasnt real money in the first place...so dont worry about it...it came out of thin air and now has disappeared into it.

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   1. 

      9/17/08

      clioandme

      Except it represents a portion of the retirements and investment portfolios of ordinary people.
   2. 

      9/17/08

      Manictastic

      The housing market had lots of paper value too, the ordinary Joe kinda formed the biggest loser, no?
   3. 

      9/17/08

      blogonsmog

      Ivs - That is what my financial advisor keeps telling me right before he mentions that at my current rate of investment profits I will be able to retire in only 200 more years.
   4. 

      9/17/08

      clioandme

      Yes Mani. Makes me feel less bad about being a renter without any investments. Now if only my student loans could disappear just as easily.
5. 

   9/17/08

   Milieunet

   Yep and smoke is bad for your health.

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6. 

   9/17/08

   acousticguitarist

   it doesn't go up in smoke, it's intentionally manipulated and funneled elsewhere

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7. 

   9/17/08

   xmarks

   IF you don't need your investment in 10 years or more AND you are still contributing to your investment, stock market declines actually aren't that bad of a thing. It allows you to buy more shares of stock at a lower value. Over time the value of stock will go back up and you will have a larger investment.
   
   At not point in the last 80 years did stock value remain depressed over an 8 year period.

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   1. 

      9/17/08

      clioandme

      NPR was saying that in general people do better if they hold onto their stocks, but that 1929 was an exception, when dumping early would have made sense.
   2. 

      9/17/08

      blogonsmog

      And we may be living 1929 over again. Except the windows are higher - the jump is scarier.
   3. 

      9/17/08

      xmarks

      The worst thing to do is sell stocks when you see a decline. More than likely you bought at something higher than the decline. The hardest and smartest thing to do is buy when there is a decline.
   4. 

      9/17/08

      Manictastic

      Of course, xmarks is talking about companies who don't go bust. Coz it it goes bust, you loose all your money. That's why people are now massively dumping financial stocks, coz they're superscared they'll either go bust or be sold way under their real market share. Happened with lots of banks this year, didn't it? That's also why there is so widespread panic because even the analysts don't know anymore and didn't see this coming.
   5. 

      9/17/08

      xmarks

      Mani: fair point. First rule: diversify
      
      Second rule: diversify
      
      third rule: diversify
      
      Diversify enough, some of your companies will fail but other of your companies will step in and take their customers. Easiest way to avoid all of that concern is to buy indexed funds.
8. 

   9/17/08

   aminhers

   I agree , smoke not good 4 our healt

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9. 

   9/17/08

   runup

   We must thinking something to replace tobacco.

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