A whole year for nothing-but it could have been much worse.

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Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:24 pm

We received our prepared tax return back this week and noted that our earnings for the year almost exactly equalled our retirement account losses. I am (was) nearing retirement. So, in effect the spouse and I worked the whole year for nothing. However we are still eating, paying our bills and keeping a roof over our heads.

But it could have been much worse. My son and daughter in law have friends who are locked into this downward spiral:

1. They bought a large house in the NYC area at the height of the
housing boom.
2. Then the husband lost his job.
3. Then their life's savings went down with Madoff.

I certainly hope we are near the bottom of this cycle. I have many friends who are out of work. My heart goes out to everyone, excepting the lads, who is having a rough time of it.

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 26 Aug 2006 Posts: 577

These are truly tough times and likely to get worse I fear.

** Retired ** Joined: 14 May 2007 Posts: 750 Location: Air

Its sadly ironic that we fight against what we percieve as the scourge of the earth, when in reality, the greediest and most corrupted thieves on earth sit alot closer to home.

Sorry to hear about this Tuco - I really hope the situation your son and his wife are in improves quickly Sad

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 3:33 pm

Tuco, I am totally there with you. The market value of my retirement savings over the last year has gone down more than my annual income, plus I have a bunch of stock options that are worthless right now. I am still contributing to it in the down market so if it does start bounding upward again I stand to gain that much more. Well at least that's what I am trying to convince myself!

I have recently survived a 30% job reduction in my department, but that's no guarantee I won't get the axe later on.

Retirement seems so far away again. I was hoping to get out in 5 years but that's probably not happening now. Crying or Very sad

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