They getting what should have happened to Karen? It's like a horde of zombies being shot next to the coat rack Karen was supposed to be grabbing some coats from. Karen got away at least. I bought a few shares of Netflix on the terrific dip over...whatever...Brazilian one-time tax is it? Or, is it right-wingers dumping Netflix?
Would you guys liquidate some stock EFTs and convert into cash and sit for a while? My portfolio is going super, but I am worried about a huge market down turn of 20%+. I am getting closer to retirement, so I would not be able to wait for a decade plus if we get into something real nasty.
Most Americans don’t have money to spend anymore. Making ends meet through credit card Debt. That effect will trickle into every sector eventually. Everything has contracted, we’re in a recession (economists will wait a year to tell you this)
Joined: Dec 9, 2002 Since you are close to 23 years in the Clutchfans Tribe, you aren't a Teenager. There are multiple things to consider and perhaps you can work through most of them yourself. Here are some things to ponder: Still actively working? How close are you to Retirement and eventually RMD? Employer matches some of your contributions to a Retirement Account? What do projections for your Social Security, Retirement Accounts and maybe a Pension look like? Are your investments mostly in Retirement Accounts or Regular Accounts with immediate Tax Considerations if you sell Winners now? How aggressive are you with your Investments? Has your buying Strategy been closer to DCA (Dollar Collar Averaging) or buy the Stock(s) - Sector(s) in the spotlight? Have you worked through scenarios for expected Cash Flow In and expected Cash Flow Out in your retirement years? There are probably some things that I missed, but the above should give you a good start on what to consider about your Investments and Retirement. I am not suggesting that you share the above information with us because things should start to become clear for you when you gather the information and look at it on your own for a few minutes. There are some free Retirement Planning worksheets out there that should be better than what I described above. Maybe none of them fit your style and/or situation exactly, but maybe combining the best ideas of several worksheets would get you where you need to be when doing this.
If you're going to retire soon, there's nothing wrong with rotating your stocks. Dont rush it but you can slowly rotate your holdings into more conservative investments. Safest option is something like SGOV but there are plenty of others (like Vanguard and Fidelity money market funds) out there.
Car loan crisis: More Americans falling behind on loan payments As the car loan crisis deepens, a growing number of Americans are struggling to keep up with their auto loan payments. Delinquencies are hitting new highs, raising concerns about the broader economic impact. On the surface, the economy looks like it’s holding up. The stock market is up, unemployment remains relatively low, and consumer spending hasn’t slowed much. But if you shift your focus to the road, the numbers tell a different story. Repossessions, delinquent loans, and trade-ins for less expensive vehicles are all on the rise, and 2025 could be a record year for all of it. According to industry data from CURepossession.com, more than 3 million vehicles are expected to be repossessed by the end of this year. That figure has only been surpassed once, in 2009, during the height of the Great Recession. If you’re worried your car might be next, it’s important to understand your rights. The North Carolina Department of Justice notes that creditors are not required to give you advance notice before repossessing your vehicle. They are legally allowed to enter your property to take the car, as long as they do not breach the peace. You can read more about your rights on the NC DOJ’s website here. A new study from VantageScore, a national credit scoring company, shows that auto loan delinquencies have risen more than 50 percent over the past 15 years. What’s surprising is who’s falling behind: delinquency rates among prime borrowers, those with higher credit scores and incomes, are climbing even faster than those with subprime loans. VantageScore’s vice president said the trend indicates that economic pressures are no longer only hurting certain “income levels,” suggesting that middle- and upper-income Americans are increasingly feeling the financial strain. Experts tell WRAL 5 On Your Side several factors are fueling the problem: high borrowing costs, rising car prices, and unstable employment. Even as wages have grown in some sectors, many households are struggling to keep up with monthly car payments that now average well over $700 for new vehicles. If you’re struggling to make your payments, don’t ignore the problem. Contact your lender as soon as possible; many offer payment plans, temporary hardship programs, or deferment options. Even partial payments can help prevent a default or minimize late fees. __________ There are some Graphs at the link. More Americans are falling behind on their auto loan payments. Here's why. Americans continue to fall behind on auto loan payments in the face of record-high car prices and high interest rates. A recent study by VantageScore found that auto loan delinquency rates have increased by more than 50% over the past 15 years. The upward trend continues even as delinquency rates in other loan categories — including credit card loans, personal loans and home equity loans — have declined, according to the report. "Back in 2010, auto loans were the least risky of all products at that point in time," Rikard Bandebo, chief economist at VantageScore, said in a recent video. "Now, as we look at 2025, it's actually — excluding student loans — the riskiest credit product." While a growing number of Americans have been falling behind on car payments for years, auto loan delinquency rates have picked up after a pandemic-induced dip. The most recent data from the Federal Reserve shows that auto loan delinquency rates — defined as the portion of loan balances that are at least 30 days past due — were at 3.8% in June 2024, the highest level since June 2010. The rise in delinquency rates includes all household income groups, VantageScore's data shows. What's more, delinquency rates among prime borrowers have climbed faster than subprime borrowers on an absolute basis "The broad-based decline in consumer credit quality indicates that economic pressures are no longer concentrated among some VantageScore credit tiers and income levels," Susan Fahy, executive vice president and chief digital officer at VantageScore, said in a statement. VantageScore also found that the average loan amount has increased 57% over the last 15 years — a bigger jump than any other loan category, including mortgages. Why people are falling behind on payments One of the main factors hurting car owners is rapidly increasing monthly payments. Data from the Federal Reserve shows that average monthly payments increased roughly $130 from January 2020 to January 2023, to $600. By contrast, in the three-year-period from January 2017 to January 2020, average monthly car loan payments had increased approximately $40, from $430 to $470. Payments have continued to escalate: One in five new car loans have monthly payments that exceed $1,000, according to auto researcher Edmunds. Behind the ballooning payments are rising car prices and interest rates. The average cost of a new vehicle is now more than $50,000, according to September data from Cox Automotive — the highest it's ever been. "Prices for both new and used vehicles surged during and after the pandemic and they haven't come down," Stephen Kates, a financial analyst at Bankrate, told CBS News in an email. Those higher vehicle costs have encouraged more buyers to finance their purchases, often at increased interest rates, Kates added. The average auto loan rate in September was 7% for new cars and approximately 11% for used cars, September data from Edmunds shows. "The combination of elevated prices and borrowing costs has led to longer loan terms, which increase the total interest paid and raise the risk of borrowers becoming underwater as their cars depreciate faster than they pay down the loan," Kates said. Broader economic conditions are also influencing delinquency rates, experts have noted. Fahy from VantageScore said that in addition to higher borrowing costs, the rise in auto loan delinquencies could also be attributed to inflation and an unsteady employment picture. While inflation has cooled since its 2022 peak, many Americans are still feeling stretched by sky-high prices. A Bankrate analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data found that while the gap is narrowing, average wages are still trailing behind inflation and won't catch up until mid-2026.
Thanks for the information. I am five to ten years away from retirement. I have mostly invested in stocks(ETF, mutual funds) with good returns over the years, I will take a close look to remove some stock ETF positions and shift to more conservtive holds, the part I am worried about is if I go too conservative, I will erode the funds too quickly once i retire, hard choices.
Thanks for the suggesion, I am about five to ten years away from retirement, my holdings are mostly with Vanguard and Fidelitiy stock funds, will have to balance them out with some conservative funds.
I think you're fine until Jan 26 but after that I'd have some tight sells in place and don't be upset if you get triggered and the market climbs some more. It's coming. And I'm a bull most of the time. I sold RGTI for a handsome profit earlier and was waiting for it to get back into the low 30s before buying more than my initial. That plan was thwarted overnight. Thanks Donnie. Now I'm thinking about waiting for earnings (most like a miss) but it still climbed on the last miss. I may get back in but with the same as my initial amount. I sold NFLX. You can't be that big and miss that bad without a heads up warning. Also even thinking about buying WB means you have too much money and not enough ideas. I'll check back later. I want to sell my GOOG. I think it's topped out. Just waiting for a good market day though I usually lose more in the end than if I just sell. Once momentum air is gone, it's hard to get back.
Good thoughts. I am thinking of dumping GOOG too. It's caught up. I sold AAPL too early at 230... didn't think it had this much run left. Well quantum got a good pump last night but now down again after the rumors were denied.
remember the COVID shutdown darling ZM, it has always been a profitable company. its current stock price/earnings ratio is in the low 20s, as compared to the high 30s for AAPL and MSFT, low 50s for NFLX at its peak 3 yrs ago, it was trading above 470; it currently trades ~~ 84 this is an update on its evolving business fundamentals / value propositions Zoom's evolution / adaptability has been reflected / captured by these bullish technical indicators the (95 - 84) gap-down from Aug 2022 was closed in late 2024, followed by a long consolidation period it is forming a handle to a 11-months long Cup W Handle formation a bearish-to-bullish reversal pattern, "W"-ish looking, in the March, April and August months in late Aug, trading actions had broken, up thru, the long term down-trend started from 420 in July 2021 it has bounced off the support at 200 dma, currently trading above 20/50/100 dmas decided to sell a bullish PUT spread on ZM, using Dec 19 expiraton; my price target is ~~98 buy to open 80 strike PUT sell to open 95 strike PUT collecting a premium of 9.04, for this 15-point spread, defining my max risk of 5.96
