Are your retirement funds invested in the Stock Market?

[handyrandy]

After the bankruptcy of Lehman Bros.yesterday, the stock market is set to plunge in trading today. What about your Health Savings Account? Did you follow the Republican suggestion and invest it in the stock market? Can you say wiped out?

[Mignon M]

Dont know about the US, but over here a massive travel agent collapsed leaving 67,000 people stranded around the world... we are all a dipping down , and it started.... there....a year ago.... its finally reaching us here.... great!
Please America, DO NOT VOTE McBUSH!

[earanger]

Handyrandy,

My retirement funds are in diversified mutual funds through USAA.

The idea behind using stocks or mutual funds is in long term earnings.

The republicans (and I'm independent) are right - unless major changes are made in the Social Security program. Social Security is set to go belly up in less than 11.5 years. If people aren't saving NOW, what will those in their 50s and less going to retire on?

Again, I'm not a republican, but Bush and the republicans asked Congress to either fix Social Security or set up individual retirement accounts (like current IRAs), and Pelosi refused, ostensibly to make Bush look bad going into this election cycle. Pelosi KNOWS what's going on, and has turned it into a political football, like she did when she dismissed congress without address the petroleum crisis.

"Ranger"

[Mirriam M]

Yeah, there's a reason why the supposedly liberal media hasn't descibed
the market meltdown as the prelude to depression that it is. It destroys the GOP's favorite ploy to get rid of social security by replacing it with market investment. The market's been dying for three years now. If it was the mechanism that was supposed to help retirees, then what you'd have is hundreds of millions of old people living on thr street.

A sight we should all prepare ourselves for.

[justgetitright]

Just exactly where would you invest your money ? So far I have been pretty lucky this year my investments have yielded 13.8% growth. It remains to be seen how that plays out as the market is set to plunge.

I move a lot of my funds to low risk (and lower paying) market funds to try and protect myself but anyone that is below the age of 55 may be impacted but will have sufficient time to make up the difference, since I am 60 I need to work a bit harder to protect mine as I plan on retiring at 62.

If you get to worried you can always place a limit sell so if stock drops below a certain point you can sell it off before you lose to much.

[Miss Kitty]

No mine is in real estate and in an area that stayed stable. Nothing is wiped out...don't panic though, those are long term investments. I doubt I will get that social security, once it was taken(clinton) and used to balance the budget it ceased to be social security any more.

[Sabrina F]

After Bush got elected, they changed the bankruptcy laws to benefit companies when they sink , and they get to keep while we loose, the they changed the bankruptcy laws for Americans when they file they loose and they still pay!
It is no mistake that people were to be responsible for Theron retirement so employers would not have to pay, and everyone keeps loosing all their life long money and now they cant even depend on SSI
Core of failure is from our government looking out for the elite, to hell with the people the insurance industry is the most protected by government and we must pay, Govt protected business at the expense of many, the world knows who is behind much of this. They portected themself and gained on everyone else loss. Bush and Cheney income tripled and quadrupled in stock market, no small ssurprise. No more Bush no more pain, McCain will do us in
Ps Miss Kitty, Bush has borrowed against Social Security to pay for the war, and that is why is wont be there to be paid back, and I m glad your realestate is booming it is sinking in this part of the country, perhaps that is the key, this country!