Discipline

One of the great "secrets" of successful people is discipline and it doesn't make any difference whether it is manufacturing, processing, servicing or investing in the stock market.

Before you can have that discipline you must have a successful plan and stick with it. If the method you use does not work or results in smaller profits it should be abandoned and a better one found. For the average investor the plans laid out by Wall Street do not work and over the long run you will lose money. Actually you will make a very small percentage, but the return will be mitigated due to ongoing inflation. The great majority of investors believe that an annual return of 10% or more is to be expected when actually it is much less and there will be periods when there will be almost no return at all.

Returns can be increased greatly if the investor will learn not to follow the 3 great lies of Maul Street. They are Buy and Hold, Dollar Cost Average and Do Research. These lies have been told so often that they have become conventional wisdom.

During 1998 and 1999 the price appreciation was fantastic. If you check back in history you will find this was an aberration. Folks still think that was "normal". The actual norm is about 16 to 18 year periods of bull markets followed by bear markets with many 4 year cycles of ups and downs with that 16-year time frame.

Think back to 2000, 2001 and 2003. During that time did your broker ever call to tell you to sell? About 98% of brokerage company recommendations were to Buy. Many folks lost 50% to 80% of their savings. That alone should have turned on the light bulb in your head that either these guys are stupid or they are lying to you.

There is a "secret" to investing and it is one word ? Sell. You must have to discipline to remove yourself from losing positions. During the worst part of that 3 years we saw many stocks drop 50 to 90% and other companies go out of business. It you have placed a limit to the amount of loss you would take you would have a lot more money today. Why do you want to wait for your stocks to drop 30, 40, 50% or more when you could have placed an Open Stop Loss Order with your broker to sell you out if your stock dropped below a certain price? Maybe 10%, hopefully not 20%, but even that is better than a huge loss.

In many cases brokers try to talk you out of selling, but your discipline will require you to be firm. You must protect your money; insist on protection of your investments.

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

quick home cleaning Glenview ..
In The News:

Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.
Free up iPhone storage fast by clearing large photos and videos from Messages app. Simple steps for iOS users to delete attachments without losing chats.
Scammers are flooding inboxes with fake tracking alerts that mimic real carriers, exploiting the holiday rush to steal logins and personal data.
The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.
Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.
Unlock richer audio from your streaming apps with simple tweaks to volume normalization, equalizer settings, and quality preferences for cleaner sound.
Scammers are sending fake Facebook settlement payout emails that mimic legitimate notices from the privacy settlement administrator to deceive users.
Holiday shopping scams surge as fake refund emails target distracted consumers during Black Friday and holiday seasons, costing Americans billions annually.
The AI-powered IRMO M1 exoskeleton features four modes, including turbo, eco, training and rest for hiking, running, cycling and sports with eight-hour battery life.
OpenAI announced upgrades for its ChatGPT Images platform on Tuesday, saying the program can now make more precise edits and produce images more quickly.
Chrome for Android now turns web articles into AI-powered podcast conversations. Get hands-free browsing with Google Gemini's natural audio summaries.
LastPass faces $1.6 million fine from U.K. regulators after 2022 data breach exposed 1.6 million users. Password manager failed proper security controls.
Petco disclosed a data breach exposing customer Social Security numbers, financial account details, and driver's license information due to a software error.
Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.
Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.
MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.
The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.
Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.
The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.
Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.
Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.
Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.
Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Gold Fever

Right now there doesn't seem to be any "gold fever".... Read More

How We Eluded The Bear Of 2000

The date October 13, 2000 will forever be embedded in... Read More

Using Sector Funds to Construct Diversified Mutual Fund Portfolios

'Sector funds are too risky.' 'I doubled my money with... Read More

Is Your Garage Full Of Junk?

I have a 2-car garage. There are nice shelves on... Read More

Forecasting the Stock Market

Every day I see in the financial section of newspapers... Read More

The 10 Commandments

Wall Street has been preaching for years and years to... Read More

Two for the Money

Look back over the years and try to remember how... Read More

Long Term Financial Vehicles

Investing in long-term financial vehicles give you the most gains... Read More

Finding A Good Stock

One of the things people are always asking me is... Read More

What Are You Waiting For?

Do you own any mutual funds? In an IRA or... Read More

Trading Stocks ?Never Forget About A Past Trade

We all know that emotions control every decision that an... Read More

Series 7 Exam

What is the Series 7 Exam? If you... Read More

The Importance of Using Stop Loss Orders When Spread Trading the Financial Markets

A Guide to Using Stop Loss Orders Stop losses are... Read More

The Bottom?

Every day I hear someone on CNBC proclaim that "this... Read More

Emotional Involvement

I'll bet with almost anyone that has stocks or mutual... Read More

The Inside Scoop on Mutual Fund Rip Offs

The bear market that showed up at the end of... Read More

Mutual Fund Expense Lies

When purchasing mutual funds we are cautioned to read the... Read More

How Eating Bitumen Made Me a Better Trader

Trading is a fascinating activity.There are so many layers to... Read More

Why Technical Indicators

The fight continues to rage among traders who use technical... Read More

How To Beat The Mutual Fund Companies At Their Own Game

You'd have had to be living on a desert island... Read More

Buy and Hold Investment Strategy

"Buy and hold" is one of the most heralded investment... Read More

The Stock Trading Plan - Why You Must Have One To Trade Successfully

This is the continuing story of our two imaginary traders,... Read More

Race Horses and Mutual Funds

For years investors have been taught to look into the... Read More

The Golden Goose is Sick

It is finally catching up with them. The brokerage companies... Read More

Direction

It is difficult to make money in a bull market,... Read More

scheduled maid service Winnetka ..