The Stock Market Rollercoaster

The stock market jitters are giving me the jitters.  I have quite a lot of stock, and the wild fluctuations in stock price are causing wild fluctuations in my net worth.  And I’ve currently got a load of statements and financial documents spread out on my living room floor as I try to assess my accounts and decide how best to save or invest my money.  It’s tough – I’m sure I’m not doing a good job, and really need a qualified and trustworthy financial advisor to offer me unbiased advice.  But I don’t know anyone – I should probably try to get some recommendations from my friends and colleagues here.  I am exceptionally unprepared for retirement, especially in the US where so much of your retirement money is going to be squandered on health care expenses.  But then retirement for me is at least 25 years away – longer than I’ve already been in the workforce, which is almightily depressing - so I’ve still got a long way to go.  I don’t expect my health will hold up as I get older, part of the reason I’d quite like to “retire” now, and enjoy some time doing things in my bucket list whilst I’m still in relatively good health, before “unretiring” and returning to work and seeing out my end days working for as long as I can.  I have no idea if that is practical or feasible, but if I had the guts I would do that.  Especially in light of my ongoing work issues (I sent an e-mail this week to my manager’s manager explicitly saying that I want to change group and want to change manager – I don’t know if this will make a difference, whether I have kicked a hornet’s nest, or whatever – but at this point I feel I’ve got nothing to lose and at least I’m doing everything I can from my end to try to force a change to keep me at my current company).