I am making a little money. I bought SPN at 34.50 a month ago. I did not put much into it because I am afraid of buying a single stock and then losing a bunch of money. But not sure why I should have that fear, since my "index" funds/ETFs have practically lost 20% also. So much for "diversifying" risk. Anyhow, it doesn't make up for everything I've lost in the past several years, which far trumps what I've won. Investing is not for the little people.

Case in point: I put $4000 in an S&P 500 index fund in 2000, and eight years later it is worth $5400. Thus, the 'buy and hold' strategy is as much of a load of crap as timing the market or day trading. What is the best thing to do? I don't know. I think the U.S. government has set us up for years and years of heartbreak. When the market recovers, I may be shifting a lot of my holdings to risk free.