Quote:
Originally Posted by unccrombie
you don't even have to contribute, they give us 10%. well did (since their inception back in the 1900s). last year was 7.5, this year will be 7, and next year we move to a 6% match.
that's depressing. i really don't want to put $2-4k in the market right now
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Yeah, with that amount I wouldn't either.
There was a good chunk of time back in 2008-2010 where I wasn't concerned about my student loans, and thus was investing my regular $2k-3k every couple months into a new stock. I've had fun doing individual stock picking, especially focusing on good dividend payers.
I'm up 80% in a pure dollars invested standpoint, but this also corresponded with a rising market. I did a quick scenario if I'd stayed in the S&P 500 index fund I was originally in back in 2008, and I would have come out just about the same.
To play that game, you have to expect you'll have a recurring $2-3k every couple months though. I wouldn't mess around with your dollars for two reasons:
1.) The market is just too overpriced. Even if you are a consummate "lol r u dumb the market will go up fourever", it's still wise to enter after a pullback. I just came in at a good time. I would never trust myself in a market like today.
2.) It's just not worth it unless you know that $2-4k will be replenished quickly (i.e. the majority of your paycheck is free for you to do whatever with it, so you can just save up. A lot of people don't have that luxury with rent and house pmts).