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Should I sell

My Henderson investment has dropped by £4000 over the last 2 weeks due to the virus.
should I sell my shares or hold my nerve?
«1

Comments

  • Ceme3000
    Ceme3000 Posts: 217 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
    Do you need the money? The loss is on paper at the moment, so until you sell you haven't lost anything. However if you sell then you have crystallized a loss. If it were me I would just hold tight.  BTW I am down 30K in the last week and am not selling anything because I don't need the cash for the next few years, and by then this will probably be all a distant memory. 
  • TBC15
    TBC15 Posts: 1,503 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Hold,hold,hold.

  • Dydey
    Dydey Posts: 2 Newbie
    First Post
    I certainly hope so. No I don’t need the money as it is a long term investment but it’s scary reading at the moment!
  • dunstonh
    dunstonh Posts: 120,179 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    My Henderson investment has dropped by £4000 over the last 2 weeks due to the virus.
    What did you do in previous occasions when it fell in value? (such as Q4 2018, 2015/16, 2008/9 (to a much bigger extent)
    What is different this time that a relatively minor drop on the markets returning your value to what it was around 6 weeks ago that is giving you concern?
    I am an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA). The comments I make are just my opinion and are for discussion purposes only. They are not financial advice and you should not treat them as such. If you feel an area discussed may be relevant to you, then please seek advice from an Independent Financial Adviser local to you.
  • Thrugelmir
    Thrugelmir Posts: 89,546 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Henderson offer an array of investment options. Which one is it?  Is this the only investment in your portfolio. 
  • Gadfium
    Gadfium Posts: 763 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    My portfolio is down £25K since Wednesday. Hopefully this will last until at least April* when the new years ISA will be filled to fund more buying.
    Sell? Hell no! I've been waiting for a drop for a few years now and I'll continue to do what I've been doing for a decade.....pump money in and buy every month.


    *This is only the start.......the markets could lose another 40-50% before the calendar year is out.
  • littlemoney
    littlemoney Posts: 818 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper
    I am in a similar situation. My only question is how long would recovery take. If it were one year then ok but a lot longer would be more problematic. So I don't know what to do especially as it's large proportion of all my money which I will not be able to replace. I am wondering whether to get some out before it drops a lot more. I know it is a long term investment but when you start to reach certain ages then a large loss is harder to recover from.
  • dunstonh
    dunstonh Posts: 120,179 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I am in a similar situation. My only question is how long would recovery take. If it were one year then ok but a lot longer would be more problematic
    It could be days, weeks, months or years.   Most recoveries are less than 6 months.  Larger ones (and this is not a larger one...yet) can be 12-18 months.  Extreme ones can be a couple of years.

    Normally, if you need a lump sum out in the short term (under 5 years) then you would phase the risk down to avoid issues like this (needing money out when markets drop).

     I know it is a long term investment but when you start to reach certain ages then a large loss is harder to recover from.
    How old are you?    How long do you expect to investing for?  
    I am an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA). The comments I make are just my opinion and are for discussion purposes only. They are not financial advice and you should not treat them as such. If you feel an area discussed may be relevant to you, then please seek advice from an Independent Financial Adviser local to you.
  • darkidoe
    darkidoe Posts: 1,129 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Dydey said:
    I certainly hope so. No I don’t need the money as it is a long term investment but it’s scary reading at the moment!
    You need to stop reading. 
    Focus on what you can control. You don't need the money. Make sure it stays that way for as long as it is for a long term investment.

    Save 12K in 2020 # 38 £0/£20,000
  • darkidoe
    darkidoe Posts: 1,129 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I am in a similar situation. My only question is how long would recovery take. If it were one year then ok but a lot longer would be more problematic. So I don't know what to do especially as it's large proportion of all my money which I will not be able to replace. I am wondering whether to get some out before it drops a lot more. I know it is a long term investment but when you start to reach certain ages then a large loss is harder to recover from.
    Sounds like an excellent opportunity to reassess Risk Tolerance.

    Save 12K in 2020 # 38 £0/£20,000
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