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COMMENTARY ARCHIVE: APR 20, 2009

It's time to Open Your Investment Statements

The mood in the country was glum when I wrote my last website update. Some clients wanted to buy gold. My barber told me that ammunition was a great investment. Clients asked if they should take their money out of banks. Others planned their move to the foothills to escape the imminent economic catastrophe. Things looked dire.

I boldly suggested that investing while the market was low might be better than investing when the market is high. A week later, the Dow reached 6440, its lowest point since 1997.

Since then, the Dow is up 1500 points or 23%. It's got a long way to go to get back to 14,000, but focusing on the apex is part of our problem. I often hear something like, "I've lost $63,000 in my retirement account." The starting point in that calculation is always the highest value of that investment. When the market was up, many clients excitedly opened their statements to see how much money they had made. When the market is dropping, they stop opening their statements, never knowing what their low point is.

What your high point was doesn't matter now. Ultimately no money is lost or gained until an investment is sold, so dig out a recent statement and save it. Financial decisions should be made based on the present and your future. There will certainly be surprises ahead for the economy and the stock market should be volatile for some time. However, I sense a cautious confidence that I haven't felt lately.

Now is a good time to review your investments, possibly reallocate your funds, and harvest tax losses. Let's talk; give me a call.

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© Copyright 2015 Bob Dreizler, Chartered Financial Consultant All rights reserved Registered Representative and Investment Advisory Representative, Protected Investors of America. Member FINRA/SIPC This website and Bob's Latest Commentary newsletter are for educational purposes only and are not intended to contain recommendations or solicit sales on any specific investment. Opinions expressed in my newsletters and this website do not necessarily reflect the views of any other organization mentioned. Registered for Securities in CA, AZ, CO, CT, NM, NV, NY, OR, TX, WA. If you are not from one of these states, we will not attempt to transact securities, or provide personalized investment advice unless and until we are licensed in your state or international jurisdiction.