# Cash Position for Retirement



## Cal (Jun 17, 2009)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/glob.../getting-back-into-the-market/article2143782/

I can't believe he had everything in cash for so long. If I had a position that was loosing me 2% or so, every year, I wouldn't hang on to it for 10 years.

I mean even some laddered GIC's or something.

Perhaps the pensions allowed him to do this, but I was really surprised when I read this article.


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)

Hmm - Doesn't it say he went to cash before the subprime crisis? So cash for 3 years... not too sure what the purpose of this article is though. To scare already timid investors?


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## Cal (Jun 17, 2009)

Lack of sleep led me with the impression it was the tech crash....too many crashes....LOL


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

Just another market timer who doesn't know how to time the market.


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## Karen (Jul 24, 2010)

I have what is probably a very stupid question, but I'll ask it anyway. When people speak of being in a cash position, do they mean that literally - just cash in a savings account - or does it include funds in GICs or government bonds? I've always my GICs to be a cash investment, but I'm wondering if I'm right about that.


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

Not stupid. In this context, I would interpret "cash" to mean cash and near-cash instruments - anything that can be converted to cash quickly, so HISA, CDs and money market funds. 

Unless the GICs are very short-term, they are not usually considered as cash in a portfolio.


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## Karen (Jul 24, 2010)

Thanks, MoneyGal. A lawyer I once worked for told me, "There's no such thing as a stupid question if you don't know the answer to it." I guess I should have remembered that.


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## sprocket1200 (Aug 21, 2009)

typically anything that is liquid is considered cash. real estate is definitely not cash and our 'investment' has been the same since 2007. half way to the ten years. gladly, we don't consider out RE as an investment...


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## the-royal-mail (Dec 11, 2009)

steffiesmith12, why did you copy and paste someone else's question?


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## Larry6417 (Jan 27, 2010)

*Just curious*



Four Pillars said:


> Just another market timer who doesn't know how to time the market.


Are you implying that there's a _right_ way to time the market?


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## james11 (May 9, 2011)

Four Pillars said:


> Just another market timer who doesn't know how to time the market.


How can one be called a market timer when they don't know how to time the market??


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