Net worth net loss of -12.25% for the year of 2008

It could have been worse. My net change in my net worth was a decline of -12.25% for the year of 2008. That is actually not bad considering that many people had houses that declined in value in addition to stock market losses. I do not own a house and by working most of the year I was able to save enough to make up for a good chunk of my stock market losses. I have no actual stock market losses, only paper losses. My net change in market value of my non-cash investments (mostly Microsoft stock) was a decline of roughly -37.93%, which roughly the same as the S&P 500 decline of -38%, a little more than the Dow Industrials decline of -34%, and a little less than the NASDAQ decline of -40%.

A little over half of my net worth is in cash (52%), currently earning a little more than 3.00%. My Microsoft stock is paying a dividend of roughly 2.70%.

Unfortunately, I am not working right now, so I will actually be burning cash for another month or two or three as I line up some new work.

-- Jack Krupansky