Financial Questions

[GPK]

Originally Posted by MaTH716

A friend of mine just left his job within the financial industry. Now he's trying to get something started on his own. He has some basic financial questions, where he is just trying to gauge the public's mindset and thoughts on how they act and percieve the financial markets.
He asked me to help him out. I thought DT might be a good place to post some of these questions. We certainly do have a diverse and opinionated group.
For the record, I have nothing to gain here, just trying to help a friend out. If you don't feel comfortable posting something in the thread feel free to PM me, but the questions are very benign. I answered the questions too and will post my answers.

What keeps you at up at night (financially speaking)?I fear I started too late in life in regards to saving for retirement. Probably will have to work longer in life than I would like. Both of my parents came from incredibly poor childhoods and neither were financially savvy, so everything I have learned, I have learned on my own. Having a child later in life also prolongs the age in which I will be financially responsible for her. But I wouldn't trade that for the world.

If you could get a straight answer from some you could trust about your most important financial, career and market related questions what would you ask? Give me a sure thing to return me 10% every year.

Do you feel it's hard to plan for your future because of economic uncertainty? Not hard to plan, just waited too late in life to do it.

If you had known about the recent financial crisis in advance would you have made different decisions? No

Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks
Matt

hope it helps...

[3kings]

What keeps you at up at night (financially speaking)?
[ Nothing keeps me up but I worry about the industry I'm in. The government lets big banking/ investment companies buy out competition and put medium size companies( which I work for) under. My wife and I have put money away from the beginning and have saved for my son's schooling so barring something unforeseen we are on track..[/i]

If you could get a straight answer from some you could trust about your most important financial, career and market related questions what would you ask? How to earn double digit growth without huge risk

Do you feel it's hard to plan for your future because of economic uncertainty?
Yes, I need continued growth to retire when I want but don't want to take huge risks as I get closer to retirement.

If you had known about the recent financial crisis in advance would you have made different decisions?
Not really, even through wild market swings we have achieved growth. Not as much as I would have liked but progress towards retirement.

[Rudeboyelvis]

What keeps you at up at night (financially speaking)?
Trying to get through the next 10 years without a layoff.


If you could get a straight answer from someone you could trust about your most important financial, career and market related questions what would you ask?
What are YOU doing to prepare for the inevitable market collapse?

Do you feel it's hard to plan for your future because of economic uncertainty? Not particularly. I just continue to seek growth opportunities and pray the economy doesn't completely implode under the mountain of debt that will never go away.


If you had known about the recent financial crisis in advance would you have made different decisions? I would have made completely different decisions.

[declansharbor]

What keeps you at up at night (financially speaking)?
The economic hardships that my daughter may face in 15 years and the course of action that I need to take to ensure a bright future for her.

If you could get a straight answer from someone you could trust about your most important financial, career and market related questions what would you ask?
Is there anything else that I could be doing to stay ahead of the curve (financially and in terms of investment properties)? Am i cost-cutting properly?

Do you feel it's hard to plan for your future because of economic uncertainty? Yes, it's difficult to tell whether or not I should put my "chips in the middle" for some deals or is it better off waiting it out for a better opportunity.

If you had known about the recent financial crisis in advance would you have made different decisions? Yes, my decisions that I made with my money in my early 20's were piss poor.