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. They probably aren't talking about it.
According to Investor's Business Daily newspaper there are 1,387 companies that lost more than 90% of their value from the highest point during the last 5 years. That is almost as bad as Enron except the folks that own this junk have hopes that someday their stock will go back up. And pigs can fly.
Do you realize that if a stock loses 50% from its high it must gain 100% to get back to the old high? And there are literally thousands of stocks that fall into that category. The people that own these dogs are waiting for them to rally so they can get out "even". What this means is that the stock has an effective cap or ceiling on it's price. Each time it sticks its head up it will meet with thousands of folks who will sell. The chance of it ever getting back to the old high is almost nil, never, nada, zip. From my experience as a professional floor trader on the exchange I can tell you it will take a minimum of 5 years of repeated rallies before the investors who are waiting to get out are finally exhausted.
There is a better plan. Why would anyone buy something and let it go against them 60 or 80%? Why do investors believe the greatest Wall Street lie of Buy and Hold? Psychologically people don't want to admit they are wrong. Your broker tells you you don't have a loss until you sell. Believe that and I have a nice bridge in Brooklyn I will sell you.
If you consider yourself a conservative investor then you must set limits on how much you are willing to lose if the stock you buy does not go up and instead goes down. One of the best rules of thumb is about 10% either from where you bought it or from its most recent high. That 90 dollar Enron stock would have been sold at about $80 and you would have a nice profit instead of a loss.
Your broker will discourage you from putting in a loss limit order called a stop-loss because then he will have to watch it which he won't. You see, and I know you know this, there is only one person who cares about your money and that is you.
Setting small loss limits when you buy something and following up a winner with a stop-loss so you won't give back profits you have made are the way to guarantee that your investments will grow every year.
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
http://www.mutualfundmagic.com; 1-888-345-7870
Batchtown Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareMutual funds by definition are a mixed bag of stocks,... Read More
Now where have I heard that before? I know. It... Read More
A Guide to Using Stop Loss Orders Stop losses are... Read More
Mutual funds were created with the idea that one person... Read More
Should the market turn against you, it is important that... Read More
Wall Street has been preaching for years and years to... Read More
A common problem I often see when working with living... Read More
Because you don't feel too sure about which stock or... Read More
Every year I go to the Money Show in Orlando,... Read More
Economists know more about how the fragments of society work... Read More
In 1960 an engineer working for a watch company in... Read More
We keep hearing about this bear market and that the... Read More
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are growing. Investors are choosing low... Read More
Unfortunately, most of you who are reading my column are... Read More
Two weeks ago I wrote about what the Securities and... Read More
If you have been watching the stock market at all... Read More
Sometimes the best way of lowering exposure to risk is... Read More
Have you seen all those big full page ads for... Read More
Just about everything you have been told about Social Security... Read More
What! Me worry?Many of you remember the cover of MAD... Read More
This is the continuing story of our two imaginary traders,... Read More
It is commonly reported that the stock market averages about... Read More
Before you embark upon a journey of trading stocks or... Read More
If you have talked to a stock broker or financial... Read More
With the internet such a huge part of our daily... Read More
shuttle from Midway Munster are ..If you are serious about making and keeping money by... Read More
Let's assume that you want to make some serious money... Read More
This is an extract of an article which was first... Read More
Both the stock market and oil prices rallied recently, which... Read More
Have you been listening to the talking heads on CNBC-TV?... Read More
When you become interested in a stock or mutual fund... Read More
Congress recently passed another new law that is supposed to... Read More
The thinking process of the brain relating to the... Read More
I don't know what kind it is, but I saw... Read More
We all know the expression, "My country, right or wrong",... Read More
Let me start by saying that...Most online brokers do not... Read More
Do you own any mutual funds? In an IRA or... Read More
Should the market turn against you, it is important that... Read More
The Shadow knows. There used to be a radio program... Read More
'Sector funds are too risky.' 'I doubled my money with... Read More
You should ignore analysts on TV, the radio, the newspaper... Read More
Wall Street has been preaching for years and years to... Read More
When you invest in the stock market for ever-increasing cash... Read More
Let's first define insanity. It is doing the same thing... Read More
Every broker and financial planner will tell you that you... Read More
When an individual investor wants to roll up his sleeves... Read More
How can you dispel an illusion unless you look directly... Read More
Refuse is a serious issue in any society, about as... Read More
Have you seen all those big full page ads for... Read More
Before you embark upon a journey of trading stocks or... Read More
Stocks & Mutual Fund |