It depends on your level of understanding of the market and the amount of money you have.
If you a sophisticated investor with a substantial amount invested you are probably already receiving more than one. If you have very little market savvy it will be difficult to choose one that fits the size of your portfolio. If you are just getting started my advice is don't buy one - yet.
Most of the advice is Wall Street goobledegook and most of the remainder is stuff you can't use anyway. Even the simplest letters have too much information and require more time than most working people have to act upon their recommendations.
There are literally hundreds of stock and mutual fund letters from which to choose. The first thing you want to know is what has been the track record - how much annual return has the advisor received for his readers over the past few years. Some will quote you wonderful figures, but these may be predicated on following all of his advice all the time. If that is the case you had better first ask how much money is required to buy at least 100 shares of everything he recommends when he recommends it. Don't let him weasel out of it - make him give you an answer or don't buy it. That amount may be more than you have so you must then pick and choose between his recommendations and you might not pick all the good ones, just all the bad ones.
There is one type of letter I consider essential to everyone. It times the market. By that I mean they tell you when the general market is going up and when to sell out because it is going down. Almost every broker will tell you it can't be done. He tells you that because he doesn't know how to do it and won't take the time to find out. He is a professional loser and doesn't deserve to be your broker.
The market timing service I have been using since 1986 is Fabian's Investment Resource out of California. They have a 20-year real time track record.
In the last 100 years we have had 30 bear markets which are defined as the overall market going down more than 20 percent and some more than 40 percent. Even the best stocks and mutual funds will go down in a bear market because they act like ships - when the tide goes out all ships go down with it. You don't want to have any market positions at that time.
The first basic advisory service should be for market timing. Check their claims and actual track record. Then as you learn more you may expand your horizon to picking individual issues or mutual funds.
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.
Copyright 2005
maid service near Lake Forest ..I am sure that if you have a brokerage account... Read More
There is no question that the stock market is being... Read More
As the man said, "I've got some good news and... Read More
Unfortunately, most of you who are reading my column are... Read More
After the publication of the first part of this two... Read More
When most analysts, financial planners, fund specialists and investors try... Read More
Mutual funds are doing more and more to discourage investors... Read More
Did you know you can make money (and a lot... Read More
Invest in the stock market for the RIGHT reason, using... Read More
We are already in it, but you can't see it.... Read More
When you invest in the stock market for ever-increasing cash... Read More
I was devastated!I just couldn't believe it. I was 10... Read More
The stock market has not been very kind to your... Read More
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall and all the King's... Read More
During the day I watch CNBC-TV, the stock market channel.... Read More
One of the great "secrets" of successful people is discipline... Read More
A colleague of mine just returned from a scuba diving... Read More
So you're started trading, you bought some positions with your... Read More
Several times each month I am solicited by various market... Read More
What! Me worry?Many of you remember the cover of MAD... Read More
The trading method you employ to approach the stock market... Read More
The bear market that showed up at the end of... Read More
In November of 2000 when the NASDAQ was trading at... Read More
There is nothing more exciting than finding an undervalued stock... Read More
One of the greatest challenges of investing in stocks is... Read More
top rated cleaning service Des Plaines ..There is nothing more exciting than finding an undervalued stock... Read More
You should ignore analysts on TV, the radio, the newspaper... Read More
Should the market turn against you, it is important that... Read More
The World Bank claims that some two billion of the... Read More
There are many important things you need to know to... Read More
If you're a normal human being, your need to feel... Read More
With an insecure job market, overworked employees, insufficient retirement savings... Read More
Cat or dog? Maybe Zebra. Shucks, I don't know, but... Read More
A stock market index is a statistical measure of changes... Read More
I am hearing predictions by brokers, financial planners, talk show... Read More
There can't be many traders who haven't at least considered... Read More
I have watched my cat play with a bag of... Read More
Let's first define insanity. It is doing the same thing... Read More
Has your broker been calling you recently with the "great... Read More
Maximizing a stock market investmentThere are several factors an investor... Read More
How often have you come across an advertisement or e-mail... Read More
Recently I watched my favorite football team lose a vital... Read More
Do you have a nest egg? You know, a place... Read More
If you have not back tested your trading system, you... Read More
Economists know more about how the fragments of society work... Read More
Have you seen all those big full page ads for... Read More
Caught in a whirlpool and being sucked under. No life... Read More
It has often been said that there is only two... Read More
In a previously written article, we expanded the use of... Read More
What does it mean to short a stock?This means that... Read More
Stocks & Mutual Fund |