Stocks and the Market Now

[blah114]

In what stocks, ETFs, or mutual funds do you all invest?

Is a crash occurring similar to 2008 right now? I do not think so. People are smarter than that (ARMs, etc).

I've bought various stocks and mutual funds lately, and they are all down. I believe you BUY at this moment.. not sell.

I own a few oil stocks that I'd love to sell, but I don't want to realize the loss.

My favorite mutual fund is Franklin Income because it pays dividends. I also like ETFs because of the low cost.

I think Tesla and Apple are our future.. Amazon too.. maybe even Solar City. I don't necessarily invest in any of them, though, because they are high in price.

A friend recommended Cracker Barrel and Target as investments. I welcome thoughts.

What I've tried to do, and it's happened a few times:
if a stock doubles, or nearly does, I pull out the ORIGINAL investment into it.. that way, I am more apt to let it sit, go up, down, fluctuate. I figure at worst I will break even. This is not always possible, but it's a strategy by which I try to live.

I use brokerages that have fees because I trust them. I do NOT trust the independent firms much. I once had money in such a firm and they did not do anything bad to me, but I found out the year earlier, a broker of theirs was selling annuities to a fake firm/person.. he pocketed 100s of thousands from various clients. He did this independently of the firm's knowledge (per the court docs), but he worked for that firm while it all occurred. They had also changed their name a few times. I should not judge. But I pulled my money entirely from them. A neighbor had recommended them and they put me in Connoco, Blackrock, Lily, etc.. good stocks, etc.. but once I heard about the court cases , I moved everything. it's still in court now and the guy spent all the money he embezzled. it scared me off independent firms. I theorize the larger places (wells fargo, etc) are audited more and that type of stuff won't happen with their brokers.. I might be naïve.