Stock Market Tanking

[Beaker]

(12-28-2018, 05:14 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Exactly.  That is why people want to sell before a major drop.  I don't know what you are trying to say.

We both have a $500K portfolio with $100K in gains.  I foresee a market drop and sell.  I now have $500K.  You sit on yours and lose your $100K in gains.  You now have $100K less than me. 

I dont have 100K less than you if I leave it in another 10 yrs and now the portfolio is worth 700k.

The 100k drop is moot at that point. It was on paper only. I only have 100k less than you if had I sold my stock at the low point of the drop.

People get burned in the stock market when they buy without researching the companies they invest in, or panic sell. And they can still get burned even with research if the companies are not truthful.