Retirement Savers Lost $2 Trillion in the Stock Market

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When billions and trillions are lost in the market who wins. Where do the losses go? Guess this is why I have nothing in the market.

Sid of MS 7:41PM August 02, 2011

After losing 60% of my SAVINGS I am receiving settlement checks for those instruments which showed losses. It is unfair to lose an amount of $40,000 and receive a check for TEN DOLLARS on each of these instruments but that is what is happening.
It is also UNFAIR TO HAVE EXECUTIVES TAKING HUGE BONUSES AND HUGE SALERIES.
These matters should be considered crimes!
How do we careful and thrifty savers receive any justice?

muriel williams of OR 11:40PM October 03, 2010

these days the stock market is like a dice roll...funny thing is no matter what i do the market will move the opposite..if i sale the market go
's up ..if i buy the market drops ..lol..so i try to diversify...50 percent stable value fund 20 percent bond fund ..30 percent stock mixture ..15 percent of my payroll buys stocks with a 6 percent company match..I'm 59 1/2 years old...any suggestions..

lloyd prudhomme of CA 4:45PM March 05, 2010

It saddens me to see so many hard working Americans who are in or near retimrement lost most of their life's savings. I too lost 70 percent in 2001 and another 70 percent this time around. From now on I have promissed myself that if any mutual fund or equity in my portfolio drops 15 percent from its initial purchase price, I will sell it. If it gains 15 percent, I will move my sell price to at cost, and as it continues to gain each 15 percent, I will move my sell price up the equivalent amount, thereby assuring a profit. This is one way to avoid losing sleep at night and at least have most, if not all of your nest egg when you retire.

John Lemandri of VA 7:38PM January 10, 2010

I'm 58, retired and totally disabled. My wife and I lost over 70% of our retirement based on what our "financial adviser" at Merrill Lynch told us. What a laugh. Now we are scrambling to keep our house, food in our mouths and medicine in our blood streams.
Does anyone know of law suits, individual or class action against Merrill Lynch for abusing and violation their fiduciary duties???
Just drop me an email-----
Regards
S.

s of CA 4:20AM March 23, 2009

We tell these people to deversify such as a SnP 500 and it dwn 40 % YTD! But the truth is these retired folks should not have been in stks altogether anyway if at all! Tell these folks how " poorly " stks have preformed over the last 10 & 20 yrs to now!
Ask yourself ! If your dwn say 50 % - how long n how much will the mkt have to gain for me to become whole. A cool 100 % my friends and that well take a decade at that! And mind you that doesn't take into acc't any inflation or lost money you would have made had you not suffered those heavy loses back in 2008 n 09 huh !
I've been retired 15 yrs now, with rental property and FDIC Cds @ 6% long term. Have three times the money I had 15 yrs ago without the worry and am debt free! 68 n smiling too!

Notsofast of SC 8:13PM December 11, 2008

I also lost over half of my retirement fund. I also
had a Morgan Stanley advisor. I am 68 so there is no way to make up the lost funds , for I can't work another 37 years.
I just wonder if there will be a big lawsuit about this loss
of retiree's funds. There should be for not one time did anyone call me and tell me that I should have protected funds
or to move them to safer ground.
I am paying to have this company lose money for me and this is the second time this has happened. 2001 and 2008.
I am a caregiver for my husband 24/7. I thought I had someone that cared about my funds but evidently not.

Peggy Woolfork of OH 9:25AM November 26, 2008

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MONEY LOST IN RETIREMENT FUNDS AND 401K'S AND HOW WAS IT LOST? WHERE DID THE ACTUAL MONEY GO?
CLAY HB

CLAYTON E WHITNEY of CA 9:14AM October 25, 2008

Isn;t it charming that every article I read suggests that working longer-ie forever?--is the solution to an economic crisis for those 62, over which average working people had no control.....while those who engineered the crisis in their own interest have already walked away with billions....but almost every article also FAILS to mention the dilemma of those who retired 1 to 5 to 10 years ago an are now , in financial terms, up a proverbial creek....
nice economic system, great values--no?
WiseBird

kls of MA 7:44PM October 16, 2008

It's always someone else's fault. Remember John Wayne? Then saddle up boys we have some bad guys to round up. But, we're going to find them in both the Democratic and Republican Parties, and on Wall Street, and in the previously run down neighborhoods of the rebuilt inner cities, where so many of the disadvantaged were helped into owning their own homes. To bad they couldn't afford them. That may explain why they destroyed them when they were evicted for non-payment of their mortgages. Sure we all wanted better, bigger, dream homes, and the good life. Now, a roof over our heads looks pretty good. I am 59 and I have every intention of continuing to invest in equities, as a matter of fact I believe most boomers need to re-educate theyselves about investing and the how-to's, and on using margin and options, and even Forex. If we're looking at 30 years of retirement, we're going to need to use every tool and means to leverage our returns, and hedge our investments to generate the returns needed to catchup and grow our capital to keep up and get ahead. The Pro's always want to know my Risk Tolerance? Well I don't like loses, but I am willing to work hard and apply the available knowledge to creating my investing plan to get the job done, and work my plan every market day. Good luck to us all. It's America, don't you just love it!

Robert Orange of GA 4:22PM October 16, 2008