A
female
age
30-35,
anonymous
writes:My boyfriend and I have been dating two months. I've always known he trades stocks and that's fine with me. However recently the market has been very bad and he's suffered quite a few losses. He handles his emotions well but I know he's hurt from it. When he tells me about it, I never know what to say. I can only listen and it makes me feel useless. Any considerate words I can say to him next time? I don't know much about stocks so it's hard for me to relate. Thanks everyone. Reply to this Question
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male
reader, Sageoldguy1465 +, writes (23 January 2016):
 " Any considerate words I can say to him next time?"
Yes.... you say to him: "Sorry you made such bonehead investments... but you knew the risk when you did it..."
That should make him feel better...
Good luck...
A
male
reader, Serpico +, writes (23 January 2016):
If he gets that down from a bad market, he's in the wrong business. Not a guess.
(My source - I worked on Wall St for 15 years...)
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A
female
reader, YouWish +, writes (21 January 2016):
 I don't know how new he is to the game, as anyone knows that true stock success means staying patient and cool-headed for the long haul. Also, I *hope* he's not just out there doing it himself without any kind of professional advice like Gordon Gekko. It takes a lot of patience and education about stocks as well as the clear vision of what kind of mixture is best for his personality and goals.
But your question is what considerate words you can say to him...just listen to him. Let him vent. Don't try to "fix" his situation. Just tell him that the bear market won't last, and that the volatility will correct itself.
If he's taking a bath in losses, just reassure him that there's nowhere to go but "up". A lot of people wait for times like this because chaos in the stock market has the potential to make a fortune on the upswing. Most people know that it's China and the shifting oil supply glut that has people flipping out on the market. China devalued their yuan, and they've been hiding a crash since last August when the rumblings first hit.
You've also known him a couple of months. You can do the best thing by being his refuge against the stress of everything. He'll really love you for that.
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A
male
reader, Been there Now over it +, writes (21 January 2016):
Assuming he is around your age, I would congratulate and tell him your proud of him for having the discipline and view to the future that it takes to invest. There aren't many people his age who are taking such an initiative.This may be of less help (he already knows it) but the vast majority of investors - even those who live on Wall Street - have also lost in this downturn. He has definitely learned something thru this and has many years ahead of him to put these lessons to use.
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A
male
reader, no nonsense Aidan  +, writes (21 January 2016):
What makes you think he’s hurt? What he does is educated and sophisticated betting, but betting nonetheless. That might help you to understand it. The most important thing to know about investing is that the value of your investments can go up and down. Does he dabble in investments on the side or is it his profession? If he is an amateur, perhaps encourage him to get some financial advice: maybe he’s investing in the wrong places. The markets are certainly volatile at the moment and things are looking very uncertain. If he’s an experienced trader, he will know that gaining and losing go with the territory. Investing is never something to do for gain in the short-term, but gains are realised over the medium and longer term. In that case, if he is realistic about what he can achieve with investing, I don’t expect that he needs advice. Why not just ask him if he’s worried about managing financially because of these losses? As this may be what’s weighing on his mind. That way, if there’s anything to open up about, you’ve given him that opportunity.
I wish you all the very best.
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