Time Out
Are you paying any attention to your retirement savings? Do you have it in cash or an account with a broker? Maybe you have a professional manager who is investing your money as you add to it every month.
Is your account increasing in value every year? If it isn't why are you letting anyone else invest for you? There is no point having a loser in charge of your money. You must take the time to direct what and where you money is invested. Too many people tell me they don't know what to do, but if your account has been going down every year you would not do any worse then the "expert".
I love those professional money managers who tell you about diversification. You know that one. Put some in stocks, some in bonds, some in annuities, and some in a money market account. Did it ever occur to you that the reason they want you to spread it around is because they don't know where the best place really is and hope that some part will make some money? Did your broker or financial planner brag that he beat the S&P index last year, but you still lost money because it was down 22%? You are better off to have it in the mattress at zero percent than watch it disappear in those monthly statements.
Brokers are not taught to make money or even how to protect your capital. The average broker has 300 accounts and unless you have a very large sum or are an active trader he doesn't even know who you are. When was the last time you spoke with him? Ask him what his investment strategy is.
In the past 3 years we have seen the general market (S&P500) lose one third of its value as of this date. And the Nasdaq has lost more than 60%. Recently the bond market has collapsed and wiped out all the profits of the previous 4 years. So much for diversification. The mattress looks better all the time.
The single most important thing about investing is not to lose money. I'm not joking. It is the basic rule of all professional traders (and I was one when I was a floor trader on the exchange) not to take big losses. You must make that a rule for yourself. Each week or at least once each month you must review what is happening in your account and weed out any and all weak stocks and mutual funds.
You can be sure your broker will not call you to sell out of a weak position. It is your money and no one has more interest in it than you do. You have to take the time out to do it yourself. Take a time out now and make that call.
Al Thomas' book, "If It Doesn't Go Up, Don't Buy It!" has helped thousands of people make money and keep their profits with his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter at http://www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why he's the man that Wall Street does not want you to know.
1-888-345-7870; al@mutualfundstrategy.com
.
More Resources
Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exitingMore Stocks & Mutual Funds Information:
Related Articles
Successful Trading - Establish Your Risk Level
Before you embark upon a journey of trading stocks or futures, and before you make any trades, you MUST determine and establish your risk level. Traders that fail to do this are usually doomed from the start.
Using Sector Funds to Construct Diversified Mutual Fund Portfolios
'Sector funds are too risky.' 'I doubled my money with Fidelity Select Technology in 12 months!' 'Avoid sector funds.
Parachute Investing
Ever jumped out of an airplane? It's OK if you have on a parachute. Pretty dumb if you don't.
Market Timing
Every broker and financial planner will tell you that you cannot time the stock market. I saw John Bogle, the great seer of Vanguard, on CNBC saying it can't be done.
Learn to Calculate a Stock's Pivot Point
Stocks breakout from properly formed bases everyday but many investors don't understand how to locate a pivot point or what patterns to study that may contain this very important buy signal. A pivot point can be described as the optimal buy point or the area at the end of a familiar base pattern where the stock breaks out into new high territory.
A Stock Market Investment Plan that Never Lets You Down
The bulls and bears of the stock market are both tempting and scary to the investors. Speculators are enchanted by the stock market's potential to help them in making quick money with a big M.
Will the Stock Market be Lower in October?
The stock market often closes a week in the middle of a "perceived primary-trend range." SPX closed at about 1,234 Fri, which is between a multi-year Fibonacci level at 1,253 (i.
Rebalance And Diversify
The stock market has not been very kind to your investments lately. Your broker knows this so you may have received a call from him suggesting it is time to 'rebalance and diversify' your portfolio.
Roller Coaster
I love roller coasters. The steeper the better.
What Does it Take to be a Stock Trader?
It takes a total mental commitment to the task. It becomes a complete way of life.
It Cant Be Done
Wouldn't it be nice if you were only in the stock market when it was going up and have everything transferred to cash while it is going down? It is called 'market timing' and your broker or financial planner will tell you "it can't be done". What that person just told you is he doesn't know how to do it.
Race Horses and Mutual Funds
For years investors have been taught to look into the composition of a mutual funds. In other words the "experts" want you to take the time to analyze the stocks within the mutual fund portfolio, categorize them by industry group and try to understand the objective of the fund manager.
Discover the Biggest Trading & Investing Online Mistake
Any online investor / trader seeks an excellent off or online future trading career opportunity. Despite this goal, did you know 95 percent of all traders go broke within the first two months? Why do investors lose vast amounts of wealth in one or more of the following markets - option trading, forex trading or currency trading, stock trading, future or commodity trading etc? in such a short amount of time?Most online investors / traders interact in devastating forms of thinking, which convinces the mind to the point where the trader believes that an educational enhancement ability that develops superb market research skills is not important.
Hedge Fund Advertising
Have you seen all those big full page ads for hedge funds in the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, Investors Business Daily? You haven't. Maybe they are being drowned out by the regular mutual funds who continually tell you how great they are.
Complacency Indicator
If you haven't heard of the technical indicator with the stock market symbol VIX it is now time to pay some attention to it. When the number is running low, as it is now, around 15 to 18 it means everyone is happy and thinks the stock market is going to continue up or at least continue on its current path and there is no need to sell anything.
The 10 Commandments
Wall Street has been preaching for years and years to investors how and where to put their money. The "experts" have put forth these ideas for so long that they seem to be carved in stone just like Moses did with God's 10 Commandments.
China Syndrome
There has been great condemnation recently because China has been selling its goods on the world market at prices below what other countries, especially the U.S.
Dispelling Illusions of the Stock Market
How can you dispel an illusion unless you look directly at it? The magician distracts the eye with one hand while he does his manipulation with the other. You are looking in the wrong place and not seeing what is actually happening.
Direction
It is difficult to make money in a bull market, but what do you do when you are in a bear market? In what direction should you go not only to make money but to protect what you have from loss?Almost immediately investors think what should I buy that will help me reach my financial goals? This answer may not be the one you will like. It is really not important what you buy as long as you know the rules of the game - the stock market game.
Enron Cure
Let's hope you did not have any of the Enron stock. Maybe you know someone who did and lost everything, but you certainly might know several people who owned stock that lost almost everything.