It may be the fatigue talking but I’d like to share with you some of my financial records. My main investments are through mutual funds purchased through EA’s retirement savings program.
The RRSPs that I have purchased via that program offered me a rate of return of -18.61% between January 2008 and the end of September 2008. Taken over the last twelve months, my EA RRSPs offered me a rate of return of -20.20%.
EA also offers a deferred profit sharing program which is kinda like a pension which is also tied up in mutual funds. My DPSP investments between January 2008 and the end of September 2008 offered me a rate of return -15.98%. Over the last twelve months, my DPSP returned -17.18% in value.
These losses are partially my fault because I chose to invest in funds that were higher risk but offered the greater chance of higher return. Had I chosen to just invest in simple money market funds, all of my investments would have actually given me a +4% rate of return, which still factors in the huge drops in stock markets around the world.
Stupid.
You’ve got time my friend, I’m sure that by the time you are ready to retire your portfolio will be robust and you will be sipping mojitos on a beach in Hawaii.I recently took a new job with IISD (IIDS.org) and their retirement plan is to match an employee contribution to an RRSP of up to 5%. Looking at ALL the options I had for investments through Manulife the most optimistic projections were in the neighbourhood of -5% for this year. While I wouldn’t want to be retiring now, 4 years from now things should be looking good.
IISD.org
Erwin, I have a lot of money in my former EA RRSPs too. I figured I’d lost roughly 20%, and you’ve confirmed it for me. Thank you … I think.