Sitting Tight

My 401K lost nearly $350 today...after losing about $350 the day before yesterday...and not doing too well before that. Ever since the panic began, I've lost about 30-40% of January's value in my 401K.

My personal prizewinner is Wendy's (WEN), a usually consistent earner that got snapped up by the Arby's corporation...and went from the $20s to $5 or less. (sigh) It's not worth selling now...hopefully it will start to work its way back up.

And actually, 2/3 of my stocks are holding their own...Pulte Homes (PHM), for example. Or General Electric (GE). But the weiners like Wendy's are making everything else look bad.

Should I panic, and sell everything now, reasoning it's Only Going to Get Worse?

I think not.

Here's a similar take on the subject:

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/10/02/the-only-thing-we-have-to-fear-is-fear-itself/

Simple Dollar lists several things that are different now, compared to the Depression...one of them being our much healthier unemployment rate. I also noticed that the US dollar has actually been strengthening against foreign currency. How could that be a bad thing?!?

The last time I panicked and sold really fast, I also really regretted it. This time, I'm actually going to buy more stock, while it's 'cheap.' Warren Buffett just got a boatload of GE stock...I want to buy more of that. Maybe another blue-chip type stock like Coke, too.

But I'm not going to buy something without researching it. And I am NOT going to panic. It never helps. Ever. I am grateful, though, that I'm not depending on these funds right now...

* * * * * * * * *

In Phoenix this afternoon, where the temps stand at a healthy 90-plus degrees! I got to my hostess' house and asked her if she went out of her way to make me feel welcome...

two guys were re-roofing the house across the street.

(She just laughed.)