Forum seems so quiet...maybe it is a good sign

musicwhiz, i read fr yr interesting blog the stocks u hold such as First Ship Lease Trust, Tat HOng, etc. If u can wipe the slate clean, what stocks would you buy now for a market recovery/rally?

I would probably accmulate companies with lower gearing and good cash flow visibility right now. Thanks.

i think i would not invest in anymore. Looking to offload all that I can when the opportunities arise in a rally.

Hi Sean.Ng, You sound like a despondent colleague of mine who lost a lot in the last bear market of \'97. She also vowed not to invest in shares again due to the bad experience. However, my view is that one should always invest a certain sum of money into equities (or if you prefer, ETFs) as they can provide long-term returns above inflation. Bear markets are actually a good time to invest in solid, stable companies or buy ETFs as valuations are low now. I am also learning from the mistakes I made during the bull market and am now sinking money slowly to average down my positions and bolster new ones. Hope this helps....

i really do not know, there have been a lot of noises playing tricks on my mind, even though i did not invest in during the bull run, the drop in S-chips last month to near 0 levels have battered my portfolio, as well as confidence as more than half have sunk. What can i say? Wrong timing, overconfidence, inexperience, impulsiveness. Barely kept afloat only by the local & non-S companies. So, even if valuations look really good now, they no longer look attractive to me. Really could not tell the good ones from the bad ones, and it is costly to pick the wrong again, unless the market eventually rises again, and most companies can survive. Would not be doing corrections either, as making further and further corrections may end up just being even more costly. Maybe I should just live within my means, and putting extra cash into the bank, that might be the best way out for me. Unless i can figure out which company is really solid & stable for me to try again in the next downturn.

my sympathies are with u sean. i agree that it\'s better to sit tight and ride it out, instead of averaging down yr purchase costs. This is a bad storm, so seek shelter first. when the sun comes out again, there is always money to be made.