Retirement account into cash?

I've been seriously thinking about moving my retirement account into cash as of late. I know the golden rule is to not try and time the market, but I can't not think a big correction/pull back is looming. Am I crazy? Appreciate input from all you fiance monkeys who are way smarter than me.

35 Comments
 

I've never moved it all to cash, but I've kept portions of retirement and nearly all savings in cash at times. There's nothing particularly scientific to it, mostly just my general sentiment.

My results is that I've missed out on gains and I'm going to deploy some more $ back into the market at some point soon.

twitter: @CorpFin_Guy
 

There's no doubt a correction is coming... at some point. But it could be tomorrow or five years from now. When you try to time the market, you're likelier to miss out on gains than you are to protect against losses.

 

you are about a month too late...now is the time to be buying dips. the current market selloff almost exactly matches the fall of 2015 (2015 was caused by chinese stocks going down). the market will recover...we probably don;t have much farther to go down before we bottom. 2300 on the S&P 500 would be a gift...if we get there (we prob won't)...buy with both bands

just google it...you're welcome
 

if your worried about a market correction and still want to be invested you can buy a put option on a broad based index (i.e. S&P).....am i on a finance website?

Doesn't feel like it

the posters above me are finance newbies
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He's doing better than Paulson this year.

Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys to men. From men into gladiators. And from gladiators into SWANSONS.
 
doddfrankyWhy not 10 year T bonds?

He might as well keep it in a savings account. Treasuries had a record rally. For retirement he needs something that yields more than 2.20%.

Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys to men. From men into gladiators. And from gladiators into SWANSONS.
 

I'm dumb. I was thinking t-bills and that there is no reinvestment risk if held to maturity (even though...how much worse can it get to worry about reinvestment risk when rates are already low).

That whole think before I speak shit isn't working out for me lately.

Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys to men. From men into gladiators. And from gladiators into SWANSONS.
 

Why does your dad need to invest? For some people being able to live life without fear of bankruptcy is greater than the chance of striking it rich. Your dad has most likely planned out exactly what he will do with the amount of money he will have saved by retirement.

He just wants to retire; what difference does it make if he invests and manages to afford that second house in Florida?

 
jkteconWhy does your dad need to invest? For some people being able to live life without fear of bankruptcy is greater than the chance of striking it rich. Your dad has most likely planned out exactly what he will do with the amount of money he will have saved by retirement.

He just wants to retire; what difference does it make if he invests and manages to afford that second house in Florida?

True. Worried about inflation though.

 

I'm not an investment adviser, but being 100% in cash is just not a great move. For retirement, I would not recommend moving money into bonds right now. Long term, interests rates will go down (the bond market should peak sometime in the next five years). Your dad should concentrate on building a portfolio of strong stocks, with good balance sheets, that pay dividends. When boomers begin to retire, they will no longer buy bonds, since they will be using interest from bonds as their source of income. It takes a lot of buying to bring a market up, but it takes a lack of it to bring it down. Demand for bonds will decrease over time, making them an unattractive long-term investment.

Don't let him put his money in gold either. Gold is currently in rally mode, and this too will top out in the next few years. Central banks are starting to move foreign reserves onto their balance sheets, but its really an unattractive investment since it doesn't pay any income and its value is based solely on the perception of future prices by speculators.

Stocks are a great long-term investment, and your father should really consider buying good stocks, with strong balance sheets, especially on dips lower in the upcoming years. Look at companies like JNJ or XOM. These companies are AAA rated for their debt, they pay dividends, and they actually have growth potential over the coming years. Again, the demographics of the baby boom provide the outlook for this. As boomers grow older, they will live off income from bonds/dividends/pensions. They will not really look to be buying financial securities, except to maybe purchase bonds when their previous bonds reach maturity. Instead, they most likely will be spending a considerable amount of their wealth on everything from healthcare to travel, and this of course needs energy. While I am massively suspicious of equities in the short-term, I think after we move past the current mess, we will see a very strong, sustained, equity rally built off long-term growth prospects. Your father should invest in these securities to take advantage of both the value and growth they offer over the next 30 years.

looking for that pick-me-up to power through an all-nighter?
 

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