In Maryland and out of touch over the weekend/the end of last week

Hi my dears, I was in Maryland this weekend, and wrapped up in retooling and delivering a workshop the Wednesday and Thursday before. This means I have only had cursory interaction with my phone and email account.

This morning, I noticed MANY voice and text messages on my phone, and will not even be able to go through them until lunchtime, when I get a break. Please accept my apologies for being out of touch for so long!

I will make it a priority to listen to them and read them all TODAY, and I will respond as quickly as I can.

Also, I will make the Ameritrade post tonight or tomorrow.

Happy Birthday shades_of_nyx!

Happy birthday, my dear. May this be a better day than you expect---I believe it will be the start of a better year than you could imagine. You have been wise and strong in recent months, diligently laying the foundation for a more joyful and balanced life. I *so* respect your perseverance, and your refusal to quit in the face of pain and uncertainty.

I salute you, my fabulous friend!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday oneberdache!

Happy Birthday, honey! You are an inspiration and a pleasure to be around. I am fortunate to count you among my friends. May we continue together for many years to come!

Happy Birthday, my dear!

Risk, Volatility and an Unpredictable Market: Should *You* Worry?

My clever friend flamespirit asked me a really, really good question. She was reading one of my posts closely and caught a very important detail that I have not addressed.

She saw that I have both an FDIC-insured money market account and a money market *fund* account that's not FDIC insured. A money market fund is a mutual fund that invests in conservative equities with the goal of keeping its value stable at $1 per share. It's a fund that *acts like* a money market account, but is not *actually* a money market account. Money market funds are not FDIC-insured, but money market accounts do carry FDIC insurance.

FDIC insurance is a guarantee of your money from our federal government. If an FDIC-insured bank fails, each depositer's money will be returned up to a certain amount (I think it's $100,000 per depositer, but I need to check).

Being a smart woman, flamespirit asked why I would even consider putting my money in an account that is not FDIC-insured.

The answer is important, because it will help you think about:

1. ...Your own tolerance for risk

2. ...Any anxiety you may feel about the current bear market. In a bear market, lots of stocks and funds are losing their face value, and consequently, people's portfolios are losing money. Many people are afraid to invest during a bear market.

My answer:

( Read more... )

So, more risk and more volatility helps me right now: less risk and lower volatility would actually *impede* my progress. And if you are a new investor with a moderate-to-high tolerance for risk, this is a GREAT time to invest.

If, however, you are a new investor with a lower risk tolerance, it's a good time for your portfolio but a bad time for your peace of mind.