Whats an unrealized loss?

Question

a union I belong to sent a financial statement and there is a colum for "unrealized (loss)gain" there is also a realized(loss)gain colum.

What do they mean? By the way unrealized ($192,590) and realized ($83,447)

Answer 1

It means it's already happened, but haven't got the financials yet. Like you got robbed, but haven't got the claims agent to give you the official paper work yet.

Answer 2

Suppose you buy 100 shares of a stock, at $10 per share.  Your investment is $1,000.  Then the stock falls to $9, but you haven't sold any.  Your investment is now worth $900.  Your "loss" is $100, but that's only on paper, since you haven't sold it.  That's called an unrealized loss.  

Now suppose that stock went up a dollar, to $11 per share.  You would have an unrealized gain of $100, but since you didn't actually sell it, the gain is only on paper, not in your pocket.  Once you sell, that's when you "realize" the gain or the loss.

Answer 3

It's a decrease in value of an investment that you haven't sold yet.  For example if you bought a stock at $100 and it lost $10 then you have an unrealized loss of $10.  Once you sell it it becomes a realized loss.  

Answer 4

Unrealized means that the investment has dropped in value since it was purchased but it hasn't been sold yet.  Once it's sold, the loss has been realized.