How do you make money in a bear market?

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Nov 29, 2009
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So although my stocks are slowly going back up, it's kind of like 2 steps forward one step back kind of thing, where before i could hold a stock for a month or so and make money. It seems like now I need to be buying and selling every 3 or 4 days to capitalize on the ups and downs. Opinions?
 
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Quit trying to time the market and make short term gains.

Unless you're doing it full time, you're only going to be beaten, and consistently, badly beaten, by those for whom it is a full time profession.

You're not a stock analyst or Wall Street guru. Stop trying to be one. Stop trying to make money now, stop trying to get rich quick. It won't happen.

Focus on the long term, invest in the broad market, dollar cost average and grow rich slowly.
 
Originally Posted by Astro14
Quit trying to time the market and make short term gains.

Unless you're doing it full time, you're only going to be beaten, and consistently, badly beaten, by those for whom it is a full time profession.

You're not a stock analyst or Wall Street guru. Stop trying to be one. Stop trying to make money now, stop trying to get rich quick. It won't happen.

Focus on the long term, invest in the broad market, dollar cost average and grow rich slowly.

This is the way to make money for the future. Think long term, ignore the near term swings in the market.
 
Originally Posted by Astro14
Quit trying to time the market and make short term gains.

Unless you're doing it full time, you're only going to be beaten, and consistently, badly beaten, by those for whom it is a full time profession.

You're not a stock analyst or Wall Street guru. Stop trying to be one. Stop trying to make money now, stop trying to get rich quick. It won't happen.

Focus on the long term, invest in the broad market, dollar cost average and grow rich slowly.

Comment of the day right here.
 
True … and they no longer have appreciation for long term strategic plans … Wall Street casino
 
What is long term? I've seen stocks selling for $100/share 20 years ago sitting at $12/share now.
 
Originally Posted by motor_oil_madman
What is long term? I've seen stocks selling for $100/share 20 years ago sitting at $12/share now.


Don't buy the one's that are going to go down, buy the other ones
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted by motor_oil_madman
What is long term? I've seen stocks selling for $100/share 20 years ago sitting at $12/share now.
Diversify! Back in the '80s, Canadians were restricted to 20% foreign content in their registered retirement funds, so people were always looking for workarounds. One mutual fund rep told me that I should put all of my money in NorTel stock. Although NT had manufacturing plants around the world, it qualified as 100% Canadian content. Said rep also told me that because NT was so diversified, it was like buying a diverse high-tech mutual fund, and that NT was such a good company, and so big, that it would continue to grow indefinitely.

Had I bought stock then, and sold it c. 1997, I'd be rich today. Had I bought stock then, and not sold it before the tech bubble burst c. 1998, I'd have lost it all.

Balancing the $100/share-20-years-ago stocks that are only $12 now, there is the opposite as well - $12 stocks in 2000 that are worth $100 now. Overall, the market does well for those who are diversified and patient.
 
You are never going to beat the High Frequency Traders, It's all done by computers and algorithms.
Nobody could have predicted what happened to the market due to the pandemic.

I will give you this much though. There was a time, maybe 30 years ago, when the market would grow PERCEPTIBLY each year, and you'd realize a monthly return. This no longer is the case.

Pick a few good value stocks, using money that you can afford to LOSE, because market timing by an individual will get you about the same return as a Casino game these days.

If there was a quick buck to be made, we'd all be rich!
 
All depends on your outlook. I think money is there to be made in travel stocks. People will fly again. People will cruise again. As long as the companies don't go bankrupt in the meantime, the stocks will rebound. Boeing is at $141 today. I sold it at $320 back in Feb when all this mess started. It will go back up eventually. I just have the time to wait for it at my age. For a young guy with money to invest, this is a golden opportunity.
 
The us Energy stocks that were once $30 are now pennies a share. Do you really think we wont need that energy later when the sonic boom of progress reignites. Then watch as a $500 bet explodes along with it.
 
From my perspective(far from an expert, just someone who has dabbled) now is the time to throw money at the blue chips and leave it alone. You can buy them cheap, and for the right ones a return down the road is as sure as you can reasonably be in the stock market.

No, you won't make a ton of money and you won't make it fast, but that strategy consistently returns money in the long term, and there again your money goes further in a down market.
 
If you're close to retiring, put at least 5 years of money in bank stuff. FWIW my work 401K didn't lose anything, but in the past couple years or so I had it in safe stuff that didn't make much either.
 
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