Financial Questions
 

A friend of mine just left his job within the financial industry. Now he's trying to get something started on his own. He has some basic financial questions, where he is just trying to gauge the public's mindset and thoughts on how they act and percieve the financial markets.
He asked me to help him out. I thought DT might be a good place to post some of these questions. We certainly do have a diverse and opinionated group.
For the record, I have nothing to gain here, just trying to help a friend out. If you don't feel comfortable posting something in the thread feel free to PM me, but the questions are very benign. I answered the questions too and will post my answers.

What keeps you at up at night (financially speaking)?
Personally, I worry about my job on almost a daily basis. Also lately I have been thinking more of my boys future.

If you could get a straight answer from some you could trust about your most important financial, career and market related questions what would you ask? How can I get out of the career that I'm currently in and get into something brand new with a much more promising future?

Do you feel it's hard to plan for your future because of economic uncertainty?
No, I feel like some of the decisions that I have made in the past have put my in the position that I am in now.

If you had known about the recent financial crisis in advance would you have made different decisions?
Yes, I feel like I bought my house at the height of the housing bubble. Obviously I would have waited it out and then got into the market after the bubble popped

Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks
Matt

hope it helps...

What keeps you at up at night (financially speaking)?
[ Nothing keeps me up but I worry about the industry I'm in. The government lets big banking/ investment companies buy out competition and put medium size companies( which I work for) under. My wife and I have put money away from the beginning and have saved for my son's schooling so barring something unforeseen we are on track..[/i]

If you could get a straight answer from some you could trust about your most important financial, career and market related questions what would you ask? How to earn double digit growth without huge risk

Do you feel it's hard to plan for your future because of economic uncertainty?
Yes, I need continued growth to retire when I want but don't want to take huge risks as I get closer to retirement.

If you had known about the recent financial crisis in advance would you have made different decisions?
Not really, even through wild market swings we have achieved growth. Not as much as I would have liked but progress towards retirement.

What keeps you at up at night (financially speaking)?
Trying to get through the next 10 years without a layoff.


If you could get a straight answer from someone you could trust about your most important financial, career and market related questions what would you ask?
What are YOU doing to prepare for the inevitable market collapse?

Do you feel it's hard to plan for your future because of economic uncertainty? Not particularly. I just continue to seek growth opportunities and pray the economy doesn't completely implode under the mountain of debt that will never go away.


If you had known about the recent financial crisis in advance would you have made different decisions? I would have made completely different decisions.

What keeps you at up at night (financially speaking)?
The economic hardships that my daughter may face in 15 years and the course of action that I need to take to ensure a bright future for her.

If you could get a straight answer from someone you could trust about your most important financial, career and market related questions what would you ask?
Is there anything else that I could be doing to stay ahead of the curve (financially and in terms of investment properties)? Am i cost-cutting properly?

Do you feel it's hard to plan for your future because of economic uncertainty? Yes, it's difficult to tell whether or not I should put my "chips in the middle" for some deals or is it better off waiting it out for a better opportunity.

If you had known about the recent financial crisis in advance would you have made different decisions? Yes, my decisions that I made with my money in my early 20's were piss poor.

What keeps you at up at night (financially speaking)?
Nothing really.

If you could get a straight answer from some you could trust about your most important financial, career and market related questions what would you ask? I'd just like to find a good investment that I'm fully confident in. I also have thought about maybe starting a little business where I write personalized child books or something like that.

Do you feel it's hard to plan for your future because of economic uncertainty?
Not really.

If you had known about the recent financial crisis in advance would you have made different decisions?
You'd have to be a complete idiot if you say no. Of course I'd go back and time everything right and capitalize.

..

What keeps you at up at night (financially speaking)?Worrying if I’ll ever get to a comfortable financial point in my life where looking at my bank account doesn’t make me want to cry (at times). Thinking about how much further along I should be financially/carreer, keeping up with the jones’/peer’s mentality.

If you could get a straight answer from some you could trust about your most important financial, career and market related questions what would you ask? Is the middle class doomed forever? Why does big business and the poor get unlimited mulligans and the middle get the shaft (or has to fund those mulligans) constantly?

Do you feel it's hard to plan for your future because of economic uncertainty?I feel that it’s hard to plan for the future b/c of the economy and b/c of the society we live it. I’m tired of opening the paper or reading breaking headlines where innocent people are killed on a weekly basis and before the week is over it’s just another forgotten statistic. I don’t really think too far into the future, b/c I honestly question whether I want to live in this culture for the rest of my life.

If you had known about the recent financial crisis in advance would you have made different decisions?yes, I would have sold my house 4 years prior to when I did, at the peak of the housing market.
Financially I didn’t trust the market then, luckily I was very green at the start, and I wouldn’t trust it now after everything I’ve been exposed to.


-bt-

:tro:

What keeps you up at night? Nothing. I have already retired and I have an adequate income, but I do sometimes wonder whether some of the decisions I made were the right ones.

If you could get a straight answer.... I would like to know whether anyone that has retired is actually making money in their IRAs? The returns I have been getting are poor. Maybe 2% on money invested. Not because of U.S. equities, but because of poor returns on international stuff like "emerging markets" and "world bonds."

Do you feel its hard to plan for the future..... No. I just hope I have a little more future.

Would you have made different decisions.... Maybe. I might have put money from my 403b in an annuity instead of an IRA.