You guys keep mentioning how much you’re up on things. That’s ONLY if you liquidate correct? I hear guys crying at work that they’ve lost x amount in their 401k. I might be wrong but they haven’t LOST until their contributions are gone. It might not be worth as much from day to day but losses are not the correct term in my math world.

Well, it depends. If you're talking 401Ks then yes, those guys almost certainly own shares within the 401K. So, loss IS the correct term.... but it's unrealized loss unless those shares were sold, at which point it would become a realized loss.

But now if we are talking IRAs as opposed to 401ks, it all depends on what they're doing within the IRA. If they are long shares of the stock, then it would be the same as above. But if they're dealing in options or other derivatives, the loss could indeed be actual.

I confess that reading these braces comments makes me really happy that my work health plan and wife's work plan made it so that we didn't pay a penny for braces for our two boys.

Dude. Don't rub it in. LOL.

I will admit I am glad we put braces on the kids. They had some jacked up teeth.

paid about 5k for braces recently. Last set I have to buy.

How is it a loss if the gains have never been actually realized because the stocks weren’t sold. Here’s another example. We have profit sharing at work. The company “projects “ a 250000 increase in “profits “ last quarter. They only had100,000 in “profit “. But their corporate manipulation they declared it as a 150,000 dollar loss. So no profit sharing. Yes there was a profit just not as much. Yes the 401k had more in it day before. But still worth more than THE PERSON actually put in So technically the individual was notout any money. But guess that is the world of make believe money

LOL. My kids are both much happier having had braces than they were as snaggletooth guys. I believe my plan covered 80% which I consider real lucky.

One of these days, I hope to reach a point where if something breaks, I don't have to YouTube how to fix it.

HA!! Agreed!

Some of the best money I have spent in my life. Improved the kids teeth for life. Adds a lot to self imiage. Can't think of a better thing to spend money on.

I don't remember how much the discount was, but it was substantial enough that the cash option made the most sense to me.

Don't you guys pay really high taxes though?

A shares value will go up and down, no one makes or loses money unless they sell. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Somewhat for sure. Depends on what tax you’re talking suppose , my province has higher income tax than your state but lower property tax for example. I honestly can’t speak to much of tax, we all complain but I have no idea what someone there would pay. I’m not afraid to say I just filled my income tax. I claimed 106 k, paid 20 in income tax, federal and provincial combined, will get a couple grand back. I have no idea how that works in comparison, maybe we pay massively compared to you, maybe not. But this has nothing to to do with taxes. It’s a work benefit, like glasses, prescriptions, physio, ambulance rides etc. they’re all covered. The only dental that is automatically covered as part of health care is for kids from low income families and for seniors.

You're right if you are referring to owning the actual shares. No gain or loss is realized until the shares are sold.

Dividends, selling options can bring in income without selling. With dividends the stock price does drop by the dividend amount.