Things I Have a Hard Time Stomaching...

Ha, ha. You probably thought this was going to be another post about morning sickness. Well, while I could go on ad nauseum on that subject, I'm actually talking about the stock market. A little over a year ago, my husband and I were debating whether to close our Roth IRA accounts (taking some losses, but not as much as if we had done it a year or two earlier) and use the funds towards paying off our home mortgage. The more I read about the market and the economy, the more hesitant I was to keep the Roth IRA's. I saw things like inflation of the money supply with no rise (until recently) in the price of anything except for stocks, articles talking about how stocks were valued at amounts that didn't reflect actual company earnings (making it seem like the market was more casino than an investment marketplace), and multiple warnings to buy gold. Like most people, I have a greater aversion to loss than desire to make a potential profit. So, I talked my husband into closing the Roth IRA accounts a year ago. As I watch the stock market drop today (which does still affect our non-Roth retirement accounts), I'm pleased with our decision. As imperfect as our house is--and it seriously has its flaws--it's shelter and it's insured...which is more than I can say for the stock market. I honestly don't know how stock traders handle the stress of their jobs; I would never take it.