How many of you are spooked and are going to the money markets for awhile?

[King Coal]

I don't know, but it may be a good idea?

[zanne]

1. I'll be going to the super market...

To check out the bargain bin.

[truebrit71]

2. Be careful...alot of money market funds have large positions in sub-prime junk...

....as well...

Better bet? Perhaps 6-9 month CD..not as liquid, not as sexy but a damned sight safer....

[A HERETIC I AM]

3. Haven't you heard? Put everything in gold! Every last red cent.

If you read DU enough, it would seem gold and the Euro are the only places to put your money.

I mean, fer cryin' out loud, the depression starts this week! What are you waiting for? SELL SELL SELL!!!!
:sarcasm:

[MazeRat7]

9. Its a triple sell.... ohhh noooo.......

:hi:

All kidding aside... I do have puts on the SHY and BSC... seems like that might be a good move this week :)

MZr7

[A HERETIC I AM]

12. At what strike and expiration for Bear Stearns?

PM me if you arent comfortable making such info public.


Just curious. According to info available to me, the Sept $115 put is up a buck so far today and the Oct. $115 is up $.50.

[MazeRat7]

14. I'm a bit further out of the money on BSC...

I'm holding Oct 90's @ 1.10. (BVDVR) They have not moved much today only up $.06 I'm going to see what happens when Lehman reports tomorrow. I may bail right after that since LEH is #2 on my list of having sub-prime exposure.

MZr7

[A HERETIC I AM]

18. Very cool. BSC is down $2.30 or so this morning....

You could stand to do quite nicely.

Best of luck!

[radfringe]

4. don't have enough money

to do more than pay my bills and tread water

[Extend a Hand]

5. I'm even afraid of money markets

They hold 'commercial paper' too. I wish there was a way to get my 401k money in an FDIC insured CD. :(

[panader0]

6. "money markets" That reminds me of when my kids were little

When I told them I was broke, my daughter would say," Just go to the bank and buy some money". Still broke.

[driver8]

10. My daughter asked me the other day, "How come you get more money back

when you buy something?"

I told her I didn't understand what she was asking.

She said, "Well, you gave the lady one dollar (it was a twenty) and she gave you back a whole bunch of dollars!" (a few one dollar bills).

Oh, it only it worked that way...

[Double T]

7. Follow the 'leaders'. Abandon America and the US Dollar and move........

to a foreign nation and invest in that foreign nation's infrastructure, people and currency. In lieu of investing in gold, I would recommend investing in extremely high grade diamonds hidden in secret compartments in the heels of your shoes; who wants to carry around gold bullion bars in a backpack, too much sweat and work.

[Le Taz Hot]

8. I am VERY spooked and have not the

faintest idea of what to do. Any suggestions?

On edit: Serious suggestions.

[A HERETIC I AM]

13. Serious suggestion:

Don't seek investing advice on a message board.

No one can POSSIBLY know you well enough to even come close to suggesting what is appropriate for you.

[Le Taz Hot]

17. Actually, I was asking in a general sort of way.

Is that OK with you? :P

[A HERETIC I AM]

20. Of course it's OK with me!

But you did go back into the Edit feature to add "serious suggestions" which i am assuming means what it infers. You did not ask for "general" suggestions.

Again, and with all sincerity, no one reading this thread that knows anything at all about investing and/or investment planning can POSSIBLY give you an appropriate answer because no one knows how you are currently allocated, what your risk tolerance is, what your investment time horizon is, how much money is involved or anything else. I am not trying to be snarky or difficult, i am just being straightforward.

If you feel your portfolio is exposed to too much risk then there are ways to mitigate risk but asking how YOU should do that is best not left to (virtually) anonymous posters on a public message board.

Having said that, here are some examples of lower risk investment vehicles;
Triple A rated, Senior Secured Corporate Bonds with at least 2 years call protection bought at or very near Par, maturing in ten years or less.
Triple A rated, Insured, Municipal Bonds with at least 2 years call protection bought at or very near Par, maturing in 10 years or less. (Not typically appropriate for a tax qualified account)
10 year US Treasuries
Insured CD's
Money Market funds in which you have actually read the prospectus and are comfortable with the managers investment style, philosophy and portfolio.
Bond Mutual Funds in which the average weighted rating of the portfolio is at least 65% "A" rated or higher.

[Le Taz Hot]

21. My portfolio????

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Yyyyyyyeah.

[Double T]

16. The Master of Money has spoken.

If you think I'm not serious, HE certainly is:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1824949

[KharmaTrain]

11. If You're "Spooked" You Deserve To Lose

The market is like a casino...if you're skittish about what goes on in there, don't go in. If you aren't prepared to lose all you've invested, don't go in. If you think you're smarter than the market (some great "hot tip"), don't go in.

Any smart investor is diversified...hedged and steady...and long ago saw a lot of the messes in the economy. There was no way to ignore the mounting debt and housing bubble and knowing it was going to bust (just like the dot com mess did) and long ago got away from banks and companies connected with that sector. Also, the rising debt has shrunk the value of the dollar for quite a while...making foreign currencies (and yes Gold) very attractive.

Anyone whose got all their money stuck in stocks and nothing else deserves to get wiped out. My my best financial advisor, my late mother, would say "for everyone who loses money in the market, there's someone making it"...the money just doesn't vanish.

[Tyler Durden]

15. What investments are you referring to?

You have to have SAVINGS to make investments.

Two houses in the burst bubble and the taxman took anything I had left.

[shadowknows69]

19. What's money?