Reasons to own stocks

[God or Mammon?]

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/exclusive-there-will-not-be-a-stock-market-crash-2014-08-12

[odput]

Hehe...that was pretty funny.

My favorites:

14. Why are skeptics so negative? Why do they hate freedom?

16. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!

[soccerluvof4]

If that were true ,,,,thats when its time to get the hell out of stocks!

[LibrarIan]

I is still confuzed. Buy stox or not?

[bighatnohorse]

Diversify. 
Stocks are overpriced by using traditional P/E ratios.
The market can go one of two ways. . .up. . .or down.
In today's weird market it could simply stay were it is until earning go up over time - thus leveling out to a "normal" PE ratio.
Or, something could happen to panic investors and the market could drop back to it's average PE ration.
The Shiller PE ratio chart shows where we are today in terms of company earnings and their stock prices.
http://www.multpl.com/shiller-pe/
There's too much money in the system and nowhere for it to go.
So for the time being, it is going into stocks - which are now artificially inflated.
But where else to put the money?  That's the conundrum.

[waltworks]

Dollar cost averaging. Set, forget, stop reading the business section.

-W

[matchewed]

I'll say what I always say to financial "news" posts that start with just a link and no commentary. If I want to read that crap I'll go to that website. If you want to discuss anything that was brought up in it then bring it up for discussion. This provides no value and I would argue is detrimental to individuals as there is no nuance, nothing to learn by reading the link, and is devoid of anything but cheap one liners.

Please stop posting click bait for others. It's not helpful. It's a form of spam.

[Cromacster]

I'll say what I always say to financial "news" posts that start with just a link and no commentary. If I want to read that crap I'll go to that website. If you want to discuss anything that was brought up in it then bring it up for discussion. This provides no value and I would argue is detrimental to individuals as there is no nuance, nothing to learn by reading the link, and is devoid of anything but cheap one liners.

Please stop posting click bait for others. It's not helpful. It's a form of spam.

+1

I too am annoyed by the posts with links and no insight, question, or discussion point provided by the OP.

[Pylortes]

I don't find stocks to be particularly overpriced or underpriced in aggregate at the moment.  Sure, they are more expensive than they have been for the past few years (when they were underpriced), but historically they are far from a bubble.  Continue contributing to your 401k's/IRA's folks.  There are still bargains still to be found out there in stocks, you just have to look harder and longer now then you had to a couple of years ago.

I also agree with the sentiment expressed above that posting a link to an article without putting any commentary or opinion is not my favorite type of post.  If you want to post an article to start a discussion, please at least throw your 2 cents out there to start!

[arebelspy]

Either this satire is too obvious or too subtle.  I lean towards the former, but given I can't tell 100%, it's pretty well done.

I liked:

4. The true value of the stock market is 1.2 x P, where P is the current price of the stock market.

[Nords]

Diversify. 
Stocks are overpriced by using traditional P/E ratios.
The market can go one of two ways. . .up. . .or down.
In today's weird market it could simply stay were it is until earning go up over time - thus leveling out to a "normal" PE ratio.
Or, something could happen to panic investors and the market could drop back to it's average PE ration.
The Shiller PE ratio chart shows where we are today in terms of company earnings and their stock prices.
http://www.multpl.com/shiller-pe/
There's too much money in the system and nowhere for it to go.
So for the time being, it is going into stocks - which are now artificially inflated.
But where else to put the money?  That's the conundrum.

"Oh, that's such second-millennium thinking-- this time it's really different!"

I'll say what I always say to financial "news" posts that start with just a link and no commentary. If I want to read that crap I'll go to that website. If you want to discuss anything that was brought up in it then bring it up for discussion. This provides no value and I would argue is detrimental to individuals as there is no nuance, nothing to learn by reading the link, and is devoid of anything but cheap one liners.

Please stop posting click bait for others. It's not helpful. It's a form of spam.

On some forums the poster rule is "No naked links."

[dragoncar]

Either this satire is too obvious or too subtle.  I lean towards the former, but given I can't tell 100%, it's pretty well done.

I liked:

4. The true value of the stock market is 1.2 x P, where P is the current price of the stock market.

I think the satire was pretty evident.

Happy days are here again. Perhaps forever!

[popsy13]

Whenever I have purchased stocks, I encountered only loss. So no investment in shares from my savings now onwards.

[dragoncar]

Reasons not to own socks:

1) They strangle your feet

2) They support the cruel wool industry

3)  they make your feet too hot in the summer

4) they are expensive

5) you have to wash them

[Heart of Tin]

[Cheddar Stacker]

Reasons not to own socks:

1) They strangle your feet

2) They support the cruel wool industry

3)  they make your feet too hot in the summer

4) they are expensive

5) you have to wash them

6) Dogs eat them
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/09/mystery_solved_--_a_dog_ate_ne.html

7) The laundry steals them

8) Hard to find a matching pair

9) Holes

10) I'd rather be barefoot

[dragoncar]

Reasons not to own socks:

1) They strangle your feet

2) They support the cruel wool industry

3)  they make your feet too hot in the summer

4) they are expensive

5) you have to wash them

6) Dogs eat them
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/09/mystery_solved_--_a_dog_ate_ne.html

7) The laundry steals them

8) Hard to find a matching pair

9) Holes

10) I'd rather be barefoot

Crap, I forgot this was supposed to be reasons to own socks.

Anyways, enjoy this relevant video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgDZ9LhZ2_g

[frugledoc]

Whenever I have purchased stocks, I encountered only loss. So no investment in shares from my savings now onwards.

No, you only lost because you sold.

I would agree that those inclined to think this way should stay away from stocks because they always sell at the worst possible time.

When you put your money into stocks, it is no longer money it is an asset.  You are buying part of a company and hope to share in its profits over the long term.

[Cheddar Stacker]

Whenever I have purchased stocks, I encountered only loss. So no investment in shares from my savings now onwards.

No, you only lost because you sold.

I would agree that those inclined to think this way should stay away from stocks because they always sell at the worst possible time.

When you put your money into stocks, it is no longer money it is an asset.  You are buying part of a company and hope to share in its profits over the long term.

Let me fix it for you popsy13:

Whenever I have purchased stocks socks, I encountered only loss.

Otherwise it's just a silly outlook and it will not get you very far.