Complacency

During the month of January the Dow Jones Industrial Average, usually referred to as the DOW, had an almost 1,000 point range, most of it down and the average investor has yawned and said 'so what, this has happened many times before'.

Is there any reason to worry now?

The terrible event of September 11 shocked investors who sold heavily and then watched the market climb back to where it was on September 10. The investing public as well as many professional money managers now believe that soon this year we will see the DOW move back up for another bull market like we had in 1999. Let's hope they are right, BUT suppose they are wrong. What will happen to the stocks and mutual funds you own now?

What will be the valuation of those equities if the DOW smashes through the 8,000 level and goes even lower? Do you have anything in place that can protect you from such a catastrophe? Is there a solution to that potential disaster?

Yes, there is. And it is very simple.

If you believe that the market is going lower you could sell every stock you own and buy some bonds, but no one knows for sure. If the stocks and mutual funds you own go up you will kick yourself. Here is a sure-fire way to protect your money. Place an open stop-loss order of about 10% under its most recent low price. That way if it goes up you will be able to move the stop up to lock in additional profit and if it goes down you will not take a bigger loss. This is how every professional trader makes money. You allow yourself to take big winners and only small losses.

The biggest problem with doing this is YOU. Huh? Yes, it is the fact that few people want to sell even with a small loss. They prefer to sell with a big loss. I'm not joking.

I know the story all too well. Investors say, "When it goes back up, I'll sell and get out even" Or "It can't go any lower. I'll hold on." How about this one, "How can I sell it now when it has dropped this far?" Folks, things aren't going to get any better. If you had had that stop-loss order in you would have been out at a much higher price. With mutual funds you cannot put in a stop order so you must call in your order when it breaks the price barrier you have set. Do not rely on your broker to do it for you and do NOT let the broker talk you out of it unless, of course, he wants to guarantee in writing that it won't go any lower. And pigs can fly.

You cannot become complacent and believe the great Wall Street lie that the market always comes back. It may, but it might not be before you retire. Only you can protect your money.

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.

cleaning help near Mundelein ..

In The News:

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

Complacency

Stocks & Mutual Fund