Since 2005, I had been investing in a Vanguard 500 Index fund. I lost a large sum -- about 48% -- between 2007 and 2008, but eventually it climbed back. In June, I decided to pull out the balance of $200,000. The recent market volatility and economic uncertainty has me gun shy, and I haven't gotten a good reading from any analysts.
My family is shopping for damaged and foreclosed properties, and we're going to use the money to purchase a home. But I'm still sitting on a good amount of cash and will keep an eye on the markets because I plan to reinvest.
I don't really know what I'm looking for, but I might dip my toes in value investing over the next couple of months. I haven't tried that before, but with all the volatility in the market, I'm not confident to invest for the long term yet.
NEXT: Mike Kracl, 31
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