Surviving Lehman

The collapse of Lehman Brothers last year left me unemployed for the first time in a very long time. Finding another job was not going to be easy given the economy. What to do?

I have been investing since 1985. Stocks, mutual funds and options have all found a home in my portfolio at various times. I figured I could trade for a living. No problem, right?

I quickly discovered that trading to feed your family is quite a bit different from investing for the long-term. There is a bit more urgency (not to mention pressure) when you actually need the money to live.

Trading for a living at home has its charms. For instance, I have not seen the inside of the Lincoln Tunnel in months. Losing this source of stress should add years to my life! I also miss out on all the charming people who sit next to you on the bus and yell into their cell phones for an hour and a half while all the people sitting around them consider forming a lynch mob to shut them up.

Then the Dow has a down 200 day and you begin to think that having a steady job would be a good thing. You even begin to miss the guy on the bus with the cell phone.

But still, things have gone well for the past few months and I look forward to contiuing my love / hate relationship with the NYSE (and NASDAQ).