After 3 Years in Stocks, I Tallied Up My Losses (Self-Reflection)
Since it's anonymous, I'll be honest. Over 3 years, I'm down a total of -23 million won. If I learned something in that time, fine; if not, I just blew money, whatever.
At first, I started with theme stocks. Batteries, quantum computers, AI... I'd buy when news came out and get stuck holding the bag the next day. I repeated this. After taking a -30% hit on one stock, I'd buy another theme stock to recover mentally. A perfect vicious cycle.
There was a brief period when I was in profit. When I'd made about 5 million won, I thought, "I might actually have a talent," and bet bigger. That was the beginning of the end. Within a month, I gave it all back and went straight into the red.
Now I've liquidated everything and am only buying index ETFs through regular dollar-cost averaging. I don't look at the screen and only check in once a month. I've finally realized that this is the approach that suits my level.
If there's anyone out there like me starting with theme stocks, I'd tell you to try it with a small amount for just six months. I basically bought those six months with money.
9 answers
Agreed, I also started out with theme stocks and wasted 3 years lol. It doesn’t feel like someone else’s story.
Dollar-cost averaging into index ETFs really is the answer. The problem is that it took 23 million won to realize that...
Well, I don’t think it’s quite fair to blame the -23 million won loss on theme stocks. Even with the same theme stock, people who stick to their stop-loss line and manage position sizing survive. If you buy when the news hits and get stuck holding the bag the next day, isn’t that less about the stock and more about not having any trading rules? You even wrote at the end, 'a style that fits my level,' and that’s the real lesson—not that theme stocks are bad.
I really agree that when you've made 500, that's when you're most at risk. Back then, I acted like I was 'talented' and even piled on leverage, then blew it all in one shot. I think when you're in profit is actually the hardest phase for managing your mental game.
I'm curious how large the small amount over six months was. The meaning would probably differ a bit depending on whether it was on the order of 1 million won or more.
Big upvote for a self-reflection post like this. Most people just quietly disappear without posting proof of their losses, but someone who lays it out like this is more likely not to lose next time.
If I could give one tip for recurring ETF investing, it’s to separate your account entirely. If it’s on the main screen of your brokerage app, going in once a month turns into three times a week lol. And if you set up automatic transfers, there’s nothing left to fiddle with. Only after I did that did my checking frequency drop significantly.
Even index ETFs will mess with your head when they hit a -30% drawdown, and the real key is whether you can hold on through it. Honestly, whether it's thematic stocks or ETFs, it ultimately comes down to your own trigger finger.
The person who wrote this long post is the one who really took the loss. Respect. I'm in my third year too, and I still can't take my hands off theme stocks, so I saved this post.