Take The Time

You must take the time once a month to review your investment portfolio. It won't take long - less than one hour, maybe 15 minutes.

I don't believe the average working person or business owner should own anything but mutual funds because these are the easiest to buy and evaluate. However, if you do own some stocks the first thing to ask yourself is if each issue is selling for more than you paid for it. If it isn't you must realize this is not where you want to have your money so the best course of action is to sell it NOW and put those funds into some other stock or fund that is going up. You may have a stock you bought 3 years ago and it has risen only 10% or 25% and you can't decide what to do with it - keep it or sell it - because it has been going sideways for a long time. It might go up. It might go down. Call your broker (a discount broker, I hope) and place a 10% good-'til-cancelled (GTC) stop-loss order. Each month review your stop and move it up (never down) if the stock has risen. This way you don't have to think about it and the market itself will tell you when you should be out.

Stops make you money! Brokers almost NEVER recommend stops especially when they want you to buy something. If it goes down they say it is a correction and "it will come back". But when? Remember how they were touting Boston Chicken at $35 and $40 per share? Today it is 50 cents per share.

It is my strong opinion that very few people have the ability to pick winning stocks. I've been trading more than 30 years and I'm right only 50% of the time. Even when I was an exchange member for 17 years and floor trader I would put in a stop as the same time I made the purchase.

If your portfolio is not making a better return than the S&P500 Index you would be better off having your funds in something like the Vanguard Index500 mutual fund. You will then be staying even with the market as a whole.

There are some basic things that move a particular stock. According to a recent study, 49% of the movement of an individual issue is due to the sector in which it resides: technology, financial, automotive, real estate, etc., 31% is due to the general direction of the market itself and only 20% is due to the quality of the company. In other words owning stock in a great company doesn't mean the stock will go up. The whole group must find favor with institutions, banks and pension plan buyers. They move the market.

Easier said than done: you have to be in the right place and at the right time to see your stock go up. That is why you must take the time to review your invests once a month to keep up with any changes that might be necessary.

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; http://www.mutualfundmagic.com

scheduled cleaning services Winnetka ..

In The News:

New iPhone replacement scam uses pressure tactics and fake carrier calls to steal devices from buyers. Criminals claim shipping errors and demand urgent returns.

Amazon Ring's new facial recognition feature sparks privacy controversy as Electronic Frontier Foundation critics argue the AI upgrade expands surveillance risks.

New Android banking trojan Sturnus steals credentials, reads encrypted messages and controls devices.

Denmark's 3D-printed student village proves automation builds 36 apartments faster than traditional methods. Skovsporet project shows housing future.

Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.

New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.

The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.

San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.

FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.

Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.

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.

Take The Time

Stocks & Mutual Fund