I’ve got the mutual fund blues

I seriously think I post way too much in this blog. :)

Who here has lost money in the last week with the markets plummeting? Disasterous! I’ve lost almost all gains I’ve made this year so far, and just when things were starting to look good. It’s gotten me to rethink what I’m investing in. Currently, I’ve been investing in moderate risk mutual funds, and have balanced out my portfolio with 40% Canadian, 35% International, 25% US.

While I’m in it for the long run with my RRSPs, I also have to think short-term because I plan on using that money for the First Time Home Buyer’s Plan. What I’m thinking of doing is dumping my cash every 2 weeks into a money market mutual fund from now on; something a lot more stable than what I’ve been investing in. The last thing I want is to start losing money right now!

That seems to be the best thing for me to do for the time being. I’ve been doing a ton of reading lately, and everyone is predicting it’s the end of the bull market … not that I should believe everything I read, but better to be safe than sorry, right?

Another thing I was thinking of is buying up a lot right now while everything is dirt cheap, and then hoping the market turns around again back up to the levels they were just a week or so ago. Then I’d have to hope they stay level or keep gaining until I decide to buy my place. It seems like a pretty risky game to play. If it weren’t for me needing the money in the short-term, I’d be all over this strategy because eventually, the market will go up again.

I wish I had the time to study the art of investing a little more. I’ve read some books, and I’ve been researching information on the internet … it all seems so interesting to me. I guess in time, I’ll learn the things I want to learn.