I know, I know you’re not supposed to check on your long term investments, but where’s the fun in that? I started investing money in the stock market (outside of my Roth IRA) last October, primarily in an index fund that tracks the S&P 500, but also in a bond market index, and as of May, an international large cap index. Since last October the market has only descended, almost 17% so far, which makes the numbers in my brokerage account all red and unhappy.

Thanks to bimonthly dollar-cost averaging, I haven’t lost that much. Overall I’m “only” down about 5% which is unsettling when compared to the 2.01% I’m getting on my checking account. But at the same time I’ll admit it’s pretty cool, because it’s like my money takes on a life of its own. It’s much more dynamic than money just percolating in a savings account. Even though my investments are a small drop in the global pool of money, it’s neat to think they’re indirectly making it possible for businesses here and abroad to do their thing.