Why I Ignore (Most of) Our Money

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My former step father, used to check the stock market on TV EVERY DAY, and more times than not, he was “Boo Hooing” on how a specific stock was performing.  “Well, I lost $40,000 dollars yesterday, in Such n Such.”  That was several years ago, as Mom passed in 2006.

We haven’t seen my former step father much, since then.  He remarried a few months later, and so we never really kept in touch.  In the few years that he was with my mom, I don’t recall him ever being happy with the market.  Maybe he only shared when it was down.  One thing apparent, though, he was heavy in a small number of stocks.

My wife and I had been investing for years, and even helped my Mom get into it, after my Dad died.  At that time, we all invested in Mutual Funds.  Mom and I didn’t watch the market, and Selena left the money matters to me.  We just let our funds do their “Thang.”

I realized, shortly after Mom remarried, that she began checking the stocks daily, as her new husband did.   I didn’t, I just let the money “Simmer,” adding a bit more into the “Pot” each month.  Mom and Step Dad, seemed really hung up on the Market, and it wasn’t comfortable at times.  Luckily I didn’t pick up the habit.

A few months back, when the market took its big downfall,  I heard about it on the radio, and on the internet.  When talking with my Financial Advisor, shortly after that time, he asked what we thought about the market.  My response, “What Market?”  He got a kick out of it.

I hadn’t bothered to check our portfolio, as I didn’t need to.  We’ve known the market history, and we were content to let our “Pot” simmer.  I have checked the portfolio, a few times, since that down turn, and am pleased to see that it’s climbing back up.  Our current portfolio has never gotten down near the amount we started it with, in 2013 and it’s almost back up to the amount it was when the market plunged.  That’s even with us taking some out, each month.

For the most part, I ignore our money.  I do keep up with the bank accounts though, making sure we don’t over spend, which is better than keeping up the “Folks Next Door.”

Do you ignore most of your money?