dealing with an emotional crisis - i lost $100,000 in investments - the money which was to secure my future - i am devastated - what can i do?!!!!

I lost $250,000 in 2000 and it nearly broke me. It left me almost destitute and with children to raise, but we somehow got through. It hasn't been easy but I had to get creative and we did survive. It is amazing what resilience you will find you have. It sounds like a trite platitude to say "Oh but you have your health and you can walk/talk etc." But right now, you are in shock. You are also grieving the things you would/could have had with that money. I understand. I remember being deeply shocked. Numb. Then very angry. You have to let it go. Sounds odd, because it is gone, but our mind plays tricks on us. You will have to accept it. You are secure. Although you don't feel it, you are. It is now 6 months since your wrote this - and I bet you are feeling a little better and have moved from the sheer emotional horror - and you may well have found some other course or door opened for you. I hope so.

It seems as though we spend most of our lives trying to get money: money for the basics like food and shelter, money for luxuries like wide screen televisions and the latest greatest cell phone, and money for... keep reading →

Honey, all anyone can tell you is don't give up. Everyone experiences failure. Everyone! Some of us never even get off the ground!

Embrace your failure. I'm willing to bet it has taught you A LOT. Take those lessons and start over bigger and better than before. This is an opportunity. Get excited! This is a chance to improve and grow. If you simply hang your head and say you've failed and give up, that is the only way it will have all been for naught. Giving up is the only way you can ever guarantee true failure. I know.

Aside from that, you may consider a bit of research on asset allocation for the next round. I don't know what you invested in, but perhaps next time you need to be more diligent about putting more secure investments in your "securing my future" basket? The higher risk stuff is good for growth, but not good to hang your future on.

Yes, I'm not an expert. However, I'm becoming quite fond of listening to them and taking their advice.

Just remember, this is a bump in the road. It is NOT the end. It just means you have to adjust your course and get back out there swinging. Good luck to you.

  If you really faced this, what I could say is FACE it, ACCEPT it, LEARN from it and LIVE on.   Look at Warren Buffet, Tiger Wood, Thomas Edison and many others. All of them had failed. But what... keep reading →

  First of all, I understand you lost a lot, but trust me, there are worse things than losing money. I will not help you nurse your wounds because no matter how hard a situation is you must get up and... keep reading →