my mom lost $7,000 in the stock market. Can she get it back? If so, how?
anywould be appreciated!

Has she actually sold her stocks? If she hasn't, then she has not really ''lost'' the money yet -- her stocks just are not worth as much as they were a few months ago. If she holds on to them, the value will likely increase again some day, and then she will ''find'' the money she ''lost''!

If she sold them, of course, the money *is* gone and there is no way now to get it back unless she reinvests in some more stocks that later increase in value.

It took the DOW 'til 1954 to get back up to 381 (where it peaked in Sept. '29:

http://messages.finance..com/Stocks_%28A_to_Z%29/Stocks_J/threadview?m=tm&bn=10073&tid=230274&mid=230274&tof=1&frt=2

JPM must have lost its ass today on Brent Dubai Swap Futures:
http://finance..com/commoditieslosers

Since JPM owns over half the $172T in derivatives (pp. 21-32):
http://occ.treas.gov/ftp/release/2007-137a.pdf

and 65% of the total ($111.4T) r swaps (p. 6):
http://occ.treas.gov/ftp/release/2007-137a.pdf

JPM must have lost its ass today on Brent Dubai Swap Futures:
http://finance..com/commoditieslosers

The value of the stock is what it is worth today, now. Tomorrow it may be worth more, or less.

If u believe that it will rise again, then u may want to hold on to it. If u believe that it will continue to go down, then sell.

Your decision should be based on some of the following thoughts:

Is this stock decline due to fear, or due to the quality of the company?
If fear, it should rise again when the market recovers.



Is the company leveraged so that it will be hurt ( through no fault of its own ) by the credit freeze up?
If the company is leveraged, the credit freeze may end up killing it, even if it has good products, services, & management. If u think that is the case - sell.


Is the company in a sector that has little or no future?
If it is, sell. If not, u may want to hold on.


Is the entire country going into a depression where all stocks, good & bad, will collapse & stay there for many years?

If u think yes, then sell.





As a result of my own thinking, l decided to sell many of my stocks. Since that decision a week ago, l have ''avoided'' losing yet another 10% of my savings.

Unfortunately, l still held onto some for the reasons above - that was NOT a good decision. Lost a bundle. l will be selling everything very soon.

In my own opinion, we r entering a very bad period of high unemployment, inflation, & credit crunch. Housing will continue to drop, & banks continue to fail ( many through no fault of their own ).
This time, the rest of the world will not be able to pull us out - they r in the same situation, some even worse off.

Your opinion & ur action is up to you, but l will be getting out for a while.