2007 returns

so, 2007 is closed and you should be able to see how well you did. we returned a paltry 5% from our brokerage account and performed similarly in our retirement accounts -- we ended up doing better in CDs and some savings than in investments, but, we're in the market for the long term, and i think our holdings are positioned well for the long term. for what it's worth the s&p 500 returned around 3.5% for the year, so we were able to edge out that index.

even though we're long term investors, i think it's a good idea to check our returns from time to time. this allows us to balance our investments and also make a determination as to whether the time that we spend in investing is worth it -- if we were simply performing as well as the s&p 500 or worse, it would likely be a good idea to rework some of the investment choices that we make and weigh them more heavily to an index fund.

i know there are some people talking about a potential upcoming economic downturn which would impact the stock market. don't be afraid of these downturns, they are perfectly normal and are buying opportunities -- historically speaking bear markets are far shorter in length than bull markets and in the long run, the bulls have won the tug-of-war.