Aaaahhh, the markets.

[swissie]

The markets are tumbling wordwide. So I did what I always was told In a case like this: Head for the hills! I did! I packed my gold-bars in a suitcase and headed for the hills.

Halfway up the hill, I started to realize how heavy a suitcase of gold is. Came to the conclusion that I needed a donkey or a mule to make it all the way to the top of the hill.

No donkeys or mules available. Got me thinking. If I reach the top of the hill, how would I make my Gold-Bars edible? Me, including the rest of the world seem to be clueless, as far as this is concerned.

So I gave up the "run for the hills" panic-reaction.

I will do what all other "Gold-Bugs" will be doing, if the s*it really hits the fan: I will exchange a 1 kg gold-bar for a loaf of bread.

Best deal of my life !

Knowing this, I feel so much better now.

Cheers.

[Rob13]

I'll give you 2 loaves for a 1kg bar.

[ChaangNoi]

Bitcoin is a whole lot lighter than gold.

[Gsxrnz]

The best way to make money in a falling market is to short everything you can while making sure you have stop losses in place if you get it wrong in the short term.

You can't make money in a stable market. There's money to be made on the way down just as much as on the way up, in fact more so, as the nature of a rising market is usually over a greater period of time and in small increments.

Down markets seem to be like a rolling stone, slow, then medium......then "hello cliff".

Oh, don't forget to catch them on the way up either.

What's the old saying? "When people are greedy, be wary. When people are wary, be greedy"

[NeverSure]

The stock market is rigged. Look at how China has been selling assets to raise cash to prop up its own market. Where would that market be without such intervention, and how can one predict what China will do? In the US, big outfits pump and dump the stock market and that isn't illegal.

I like to play the market but only with a small percentage of my money. It's great to short a down market until you find out it decided to go back up. No one has that crystal ball.

Cheers.

[swissie]

I'll give you 2 loaves for a 1kg bar.

You just want to make my mouth water. In an emergency situation, you will shamelessly insist on a 1 to 1 situation. Shame on you !

Cheers.

[swissie]

Bitcoin is a whole lot lighter than gold.

If the global electricity grid breaks down, (no electricity, no more functioning computers),we shall use Pigeons for international money transfers.

Cheers.

[alocacoc]

You can't make money in a stable market.

Can, actually it's quite easy. With derivatives. For instance, selling Iron Condors.

Edited January 8, 2016 by alocacoc

[swissie]

I started this thread with a humorist undertone.

No, Armageddon is not around the corner. At least not in the short run.

But, to be on the safe side, I am still looking for a reliable donkey or mule with Thai Citizenship. (All other donkeys or mules are likely to work in Thailand without work permit).

Cheers.

[DogNo1]

Well, right now it feels armageddon-ish.

[rodcourt49]

Bitcoin is a whole lot lighter than gold.

If the global electricity grid breaks down, (no electricity, no more functioning computers),we shall use Pigeons for international money transfers.

Cheers.

...I had better stop eating them then!

[ChaangNoi]

Bitcoin is a whole lot lighter than gold.

If the global electricity grid breaks down, (no electricity, no more functioning computers),we shall use Pigeons for international money transfers.

Cheers.

If the whole worlds electricity grid breaks down you are going to have more problems than just not being able to move your bitcoins. Death is going to be pretty quick for most at that point.

[Asiantravel]

Bank of America have this graph which shows that once the ISM drops below 45, it virtually always results in a recession, with just two false positives: in 1951 and 1968.

Edited January 9, 2016 by Asiantravel

[DogNo1]

Just what I needed to cheer me up after a terrible week for my portfolio! Maybe I'll have to learn to live on insects, legumes and bulgar wheat (you can depend on bugs, pulses and grasses but not potatoes and maybe not even rice.) The world seems headed in that direction anyway. It's burning up and food resources are being exhausted. $200 for a kilo of tuna? Oh wait, it costs more than that already for the premium tuna in Japan.

[gk10002000]

The best way to make money in a falling market is to short everything you can while making sure you have stop losses in place if you get it wrong in the short term.

You can't make money in a stable market. There's money to be made on the way down just as much as on the way up, in fact more so, as the nature of a rising market is usually over a greater period of time and in small increments.

Down markets seem to be like a rolling stone, slow, then medium......then "hello cliff".

Oh, don't forget to catch them on the way up either.

What's the old saying? "When people are greedy, be wary. When people are wary, be greedy"

One certainly can make money in a stable market. Once my portfolio got near 1 Mil USD, my mindset changed and I invest now for dividends and interest, much of it tax free. I earn > 5% holding things such as ATT (T), NEA, PRHYX, PRTAX, BP (jury still out on this one!). Very conservative for sure, but it meets my needs. If you want to trade in and out and try shorting and buying PUTs, and trying to buy low and sell high, good luck. That typically is a short term low patience individual's approach. I will be working about 4 more years and my net worth as well as my income will be quite fine for my retirement, and that is not including the social security I get in just a few years. Up markets are great, as one watches net worth grow. but if you don't invest for income you may not be as well off later as you thought you were. Trying to work the options side of things is very tricky. usually one just finds he is spending money on fees and taxes and not making much. Better to think long term and wait out the downturn. BUy quality and be patient

[Gary A]

My best friend and I were doing VERY well in the stock market. We were making fun of my friend's brother for having his money in bank cd's. The last time the market crashed big time, we three were sitting and talking about the disaster. His brother looked at us and said that he was sleeping well and that he still had his money. I have never forgotten that. My dreams of early retirement were dead and gone.

[cheeryble]

The stock market is rigged. Look at how China has been selling assets to raise cash to prop up its own market. Where would that market be without such intervention, and how can one predict what China will do? In the US, big outfits pump and dump the stock market and that isn't illegal.

I like to play the market but only with a small percentage of my money. It's great to short a down market until you find out it decided to go back up. No one has that crystal ball.

Cheers.

Luckily the Chinese market has a much smaller proportion of invested wealth in it than other countries so is that much less important.

As for shorting never forget the biggest charts come in at the bottom left and go out at the top right.

Edited January 10, 2016 by cheeryble