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Re:Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes by mistermann on Monday March 08, 2021 @08:36AM (#26385525)
Asking for investment advice in a forum is probably not the best idea, but does anyone have any advice for someone who's been sitting almost entirely in cash for over 2 years (including missing the covid rebound)? I have a fair amount of experience in the market but from an intuition perspective, I feel like I have alzheimer's or something, I haven't a clue what a person should do in this situation.
Re:Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes by hedora on Monday March 08, 2021 @09:58AM (#26386425)
Don’t try to time the market. Just put the money in a diversified portfolio at a roboadvisor.

The market is up 2% YTD, but down 4% from peak. It’s a reasonable time to buy (better than peak, at least).

If you must try to time the market, use time cost averaging to reduce volatility from getting a peak (or trough) price when you enter the market, but know that doing so reduces expected returns. The basic idea is to put 1/n of your money in over the next n weeks.

Re:Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes by lupire on Monday March 08, 2021 @09:03AM (#26385825)
Stock market is always the best available long term bet on average, because that's where you can disguise your assets to mix in with wealthy people assets that gets government bailouts.

There are other things like real estate and government contacts, but those are less available to the casual investor, except through stock market funds.

Re:Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes by dominotw on Monday March 08, 2021 @08:55AM (#26385721)
Same. I think market bubble is going to keep going atleast in near future because of the new stimulus money that is going to start flowing to the market soon.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/08/how-the-young-plan-to-spend-...

Re:Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes by oceanplexian on Monday March 08, 2021 @07:25PM (#26393618)
The market != The Economy. The market trades on multiples that represent asset prices in the future, and the stimulus was priced in months ago. The recent movement in the market was a reaction to the possibility that inflation shows up 6-12 months in the future, and the Fed doesn't raise rates. Subsequently high inflation will erode the value of bonds (Corporate debt). Who is holding them? Banks. If the banks fail lending tightens and the whole thing implodes. People can't get mortgages, corporations can't pay employees, home prices crash, etc.

It's possible something could set off the market today that accelerates the whole process, like the upcoming supplementary leverage ratio change. Or, the bubble could continue inflating until doesn't. But either way the whole thing is incredibly fragile and much more complicated than the "Stimulus is good for the economy" talk politicians are peddling.

Re:Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes by mellavora on Monday March 08, 2021 @03:37PM (#26391182)
If you don't have a clue, then staying in cash is probably your best option.

John Hussman has a nice article on the option value of cash. https://www.hussmanfunds.com/comment/mc201201/

tldr: Suppose I offer you a security that will pay $100 two days from today. You can buy as much of it as you like today at $50, or you can wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow, I’ll flip a coin. If it’s heads, I’ll sell you the security at $99. If it’s tails, I’ll sell you the security at $25. What should you do?

Clearly, if you buy the security today, you’ll double your money two days from now. That’s a 100% expected return for each dollar you invest, over that 2-day period. If you wait, you’ll earn nothing on the first day, but you’ll then have two possibilities. If heads, you’ll get just 1% on your invested money. If tails, you’ll get a 300% return, quadrupling your money. With a 50/50 chance at each, your expected return for every dollar you invest is 0.51% + 0.5300% = 150.5%. So waiting adds 50.5% to your expected return over that 2-day period.