<p>^Our assets are spread out over a few accounts. It keeps track separately, not all accounts together. It does give a bench mark comparison fitting our asset allocations. That helps but again it applies separately to each account. Our assets are also spread out over different firms. I guess I could average. For some reason, I hate doing that. It all seems a bit arbitrary. Next year, when we would have kept it for all year, it will be easier. Since we just moved the funds, I am most curious how we did this year.</p>
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<p>Tom1944, that 17,000 is the pure gain on top of my contribution and the 5% company match.</p>
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<p>We are about the same. Bulk of our retirement/investment are managed by the bank’s private client group. DW and I each have an etrade account to play, and I manage my own 401K within the options available. </p>
<p>This March I would have the 401K for 7 years. It (the 401K) has almost $200,000 now.</p>
<p>"Our assets are also spread out over different firms. I guess I could average. For some reason, I hate doing that. It all seems a bit arbitrary. "</p>
<p>Why is that arbitrary, just weight them based on the amount that is in each acct.</p>
<p>BTW, now has the feeling of 2000 again. whatever stock you buy, it goes up. The only difference is by how much. </p>
<p>Looking at the daily gains from all the accounts is fun!!! 
:)</p>
<p>I stated earlier
which is not right. The index was up 13.5% but a portfolio of S&P stocks or an etf (like SPY) paid dividends of more than 2.5%, so the indexed portfolio of S&P 500 stocks would have been up 16% in 2012. Yes, I underperformed the S&P 500, but I have bonds… and I even hold cash in my IRA, and some other assorted garbage that holds down the return when stocks have a great year.</p>
<p>^Does that mean it will crash soon? I don’t think I can live through another dot.com.</p>
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<p>Like I said, if the market goes up an down 2-3% within a few day, which do I choose? If I chose day x, our return would be 6-7% for the time frame but if I start on day y, it would be 4-5%. Not bad but 6-7% is better.</p>
<p>NJres - To add another wrinkle, one could consider after tax value of the dividend income not the straight amount assuming it is worth the bother.</p>
<p>*Yes, I underperformed the S&P 500, but I have bonds… and I even hold cash in my IRA, and some other assorted garbage that holds down the return when stocks have a great year. *</p>
<p>Same here. And that’s okay with me because over the past ten years or so we’ve never had a year lower than 4 or 5 percent growth, even thru some of the really rough water. My idiot son called me from college several times and told me to move out of stocks at some good moments. He has no confidence in us to manage our money!</p>
<p>Well surprisingly not all are going up. In 2000, a lot of tech was going up and were way overpriced without any earnings. This is not happening as much today.</p>
<p>Good to hear. Our then long-time money manager got petrified during 2002-3. I thought only amateurs do that.</p>
<p>Back then, people were quitting their jobs and becoming day traders. You don’t see much of that. Supposedly according to the “experts”, the retail investor is scared to be in the market right now. I think that is an exaggeration.</p>
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<p>They should. Something happened yesterday. Idk if any news media talked about it but if you google “nanex hft gwr” you should look into it.</p>
<p>Dad II that 5% match is great much better than the government contributes for my pension.</p>
<p>The retail investor has presumably been scared since 2009 and have missed the huge gains since. They should have been scared in 2007.</p>
<p><a href=“Stock Trading Remains in a Slide After ’08 Crisis - The New York Times”>Stock Trading Remains in a Slide After ’08 Crisis - The New York Times;
<p>“They should. Something happened yesterday. Idk if any news media talked about it but if you google “nanex hft gwr” you should look into it.”</p>
<p>Really? </p>
<p>Geez…</p>
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<p>I don’t know how to interpret Dad II’s 5% company match. Seems like a typo. Don’t most employers match 50% of your contribution up to 6% of your total income?</p>
<p>Whatever dstark…</p>
<p>Well…if you look carefully,</p>
<p>You will see more quotes during the last several years, and the stock market went…up.</p>
<p>My brother gets something like a 10% match from his employer</p>
<p>Idk what you are trying to say. I am one of those who pulled the trigger several times 2009 and most of those stocks are still in my core position. My 2009 to 2012 positive gains reflect that I participated with the market going up. </p>
<p>What is wrong with being aware that HFTs…
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