Home
>
Stocks & Mutual Fund
>
The Stock Market - How Just One Question Will Tell You All You Need To Know About Your Stock Broker

The Stock Market - How Just One Question Will Tell You All You Need To Know About Your Stock Broker

Last time we looked at the real performance of the stock market (we used the Dow Jones as a reference point) and the apparent performance that makes the headlines and can be seen by a casual look at a chart or "ballpark" figures - briefly; the Dow went up, for example, less than 50 points between April 1999 and April 2005 - essentially 6 years with no growth!

But behind that seemingly "becalmed" Dow there were at least 10 significant moves each and every year totalling many thousands of points!

But did the Wall Street Moguls, the so-called "Masters of the Universe" make you any money from those huge movements?

No.

Of course they didn't!

Here's how I know...

The web is a goldmine of information. Knowledge that was just not available to the private investor or trader is now there at the press of a mouse button.

Forget the Freedom of Information Act - the Internet leaves it standing.

Foremost amongst websites offering information about the financial facts of life (the things that affect you directly - Mutual Fund performance etc) is Morningstar.com.

And amongst other things, morningstar.com publishes a league table of mutual funds on a weekly, monthly and annual basis.

If you check out the table that I have provided at my website (www.TriggerSystem.com - full link at the bottom of the article), you'll see the performance of the top 20 or so mutual funds over the last 10 years.

I've chosen the 10 year chart because mutual funds are essentially long term "investments", and which most people seem to keep almost for ever (the chart on my website is by it's very nature a little bit out of date, but things haven't improved too much since that screen shot was taken. If you want the up to date figures just go to www.morningstar.com and search their data base for the 10 year performance of mutual funds)

Take a look...

You'll see that the top rated fund, over 10 years, has shown a total growth of 23% - which at first sight looks fairly impressive; 23%; wow!

But the problem is, that 23% is total growth over 10 years, not growth per annum.

So the 23% total growth starts to look like a less than impressive 1.7% per annum compounded (hey, even the banks are giving more than that on deposit).

I'll be honest, I didn't believe it either - so I sent off an email to morningstar.com and they confirmed my worst fears - 23% is the total growth over 10 years.

Sheesh!

And the average growth of all 1304 funds? A less than impressive 7.3% over 10 years (less than one half of one percent)!

Check out that hiding place under your mattress - at least you don't have to pay exhorbitant fees to keep your money there.

The one certainty is that the Fund Managers will not, personally, have fared so badly - they will still draw their large salaries and enjoy all the benefits of charging you fat fees for their "professional expertise"

As Thomas Sowell wrote:

"It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong"

OK, I know not everybody has money "tied up" in Mutual Funds and some people prefer the higher returns of the Stock Market.

So what about the analysts and stock brokers?

Well, we all know about Enron and the others - the stocks in the early 90s that crippled so many of America's biggest pension funds.

Use the TriggerSystem link (shown below) to view the Enron chart screenshot, which is lower down the page (below the Morningstar.com screen shot).

You'll see that on 20 November 2000 there was a "technical sell signal" flagged for Enron when it was trading at just over $80 per share (don't worry about the term "technical sell signal" - it just means a sophisticated trading programme told it's owner that he should SELL).

Over the next 2.5 months, Enron's price fluctuated up and down without really going anywhere, until the middle of February 01 when it really started to slide (just as it appeared to have stabilized at $80).

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, and to save my typing fingers - the numbers speak for themselves.

Follow the chart to the right and you'll see that the major stockbroking houses and analysts were still saying "BUY" as the market lost 75% of it's value over the next 9 months.

It was only on October 19th 2001 - just 11 months after our "technical sell signal" that the first warning appeared from the Brokers and Analysts - and even then there was a further major BUY reccommendation before Enron slipped again to be worth less than 40 cents on 30 November 2001 - A decline from $80 per share to $0.26 per share in 12 months!

And all the time the major brokers and analysts were telling their ordinary customers to either Buy or Hold.

And as we later found out, the Brokers and Analysts were telling their biggest corporate customers a totally different story.

So, whilst the Stock Market is your best friend (trust me on this one, or look for my previous article) - the people who operate it may simply be their own best friend, and from your point of view, any advice you receive from them should be taken with a very large pinch of salt.

And if you still think you can trust the advice they give you, here's the simple "5 word question" I mentioned at the beginning of this article... Ring them and ask: "What Guarantee Do You Give"? Just pick up the phone and ask them about the guarantee they give you regarding their advice.

Once they've stopped coughing and spluttering and picked themselves up from the floor, you may hear this well worn mantra: "the value of stocks can fall as well as rise" etc etc.

If they're not prepared to guarantee their advice, then frankly their advice is not to be trusted.

More next time...

Geoffrey Cummins is a full time stock market trader and has spent the last 12 years developing what he calls his "weedy little spreadsheet trading system", giving him some unique insights into the working of the world's stock markets. Under pressure from friends and family, Geoffrey is now making his unique insights and trading signals available to a worldwide audience

And unlike your stockbroker, he guarantees you a minimum 300% return on your investment (ROI) click here to view the charts referred to in this article

No wild claims, just common sense advice and the best Risk Free Trial (a full 90 days for less than $5 a week) on the internet all backed up by his unique 3 part / 300% guarantee.

If he doesn't provide you with a minimum return on your investment of 300% (the banks best offer is 3%. Not guaranteed) - he'll give you your money back. No questions asked. click here to view the charts referred to in this article

insured cleaning company Deerfield ..

In The News:

Scammers impersonate Department of Veterans Affairs employees claiming veterans owe money, but real VA communications only direct to VA.gov or official channels.

The AltoVolo Sigma hybrid-electric aircraft flies 500 miles at 220 mph while operating 80% quieter than helicopters, featuring safety systems and compact design.

Google search scam alert: fake customer service numbers can give scammers remote control of your phone. Learn how to spot these traps and protect yourself.

Electric vehicles overtake gas cars in total CO2 savings after just two years of driving, with emissions benefits growing over time as power grids get cleaner.

Louvre Museum reportedly used "Louvre" as password for surveillance system during $100M jewel heist. Learn how weak passwords put even famous institutions at risk.

Bipartisan AI jobs bill from Sens. Hawley and Warner would require companies to report AI-related layoffs and hiring to Department of Labor quarterly.

Joe A. from Shelton, Connecticut, lost $228,000 to a ZAP Solutions cryptocurrency investment scam after his divorce, highlighting rising online fraud.

AI-powered autonomous trucks from Waabi and Volvo target U.S. freight driver shortage with Level 4 self-driving technology and NVIDIA computing platform integration.

Survive flight disruptions with expert travel tips: Book early morning flights, download airline apps and know your refund rights during service cuts.

Apple's iOS 26.1 update delivers major security fixes, performance boosts and enhanced privacy controls for your iPhone. Discover why updating now protects your data.

Russian hackers use fake CAPTCHA tests to spread dangerous malware targeting governments and journalists. Learn how to protect yourself from these deceptive attacks.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Miami-Dade debuts America's first autonomous police SUV with AI cameras, drone deployment and real-time crime detection in groundbreaking law enforcement pilot.

Bank impostor scams cost Americans $2.9 billion as criminals use AI voices and caller ID spoofing to steal life savings. Learn nine essential fraud protection tips.

Foreign-owned apps secretly harvest personal data from seniors, making them prime targets for scams. Learn how to protect your privacy and stop data brokers today.

Sens. Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal introduce bipartisan GUARD Act to protect minors from AI chatbots through mandatory age verification and disclosure requirements.

Ghost-tapping scammers exploit wireless technology to drain accounts through small transactions, but RFID-blocking wallets and transaction alerts can protect you.

French pilot project demonstrates wireless charging roads that can deliver over 300 kilowatts of power to EVs while driving, potentially eliminating range anxiety.

YouTube's Ghost Network spreads information-stealing malware through thousands of fake videos offering cracked software, using compromised accounts and fake engagement.

Protect your privacy by disabling your smart TV microphone. Most TVs have hidden mics that listen even when voice commands are off. Learn quick steps to stop unwanted audio capture.

SessionReaper vulnerability hits Magento and Adobe Commerce stores, compromising 250+ sites in one day. Hackers steal data and hijack shopping sessions.

Master essential parental controls and digital safety tools to protect your kids online. Learn screen time limits, location settings and privacy controls every parent needs.

Cybersecurity expert shares six essential steps to protect against dark web threats, including data removal services, password managers and antivirus software.

NVIDIA GPU space mission could revolutionize cloud services by enabling orbital data centers that make apps, games and AI tools faster and more efficient.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

The Stock Market - How Just One Question Will Tell You All You Need To Know About Your Stock Broker

Stocks & Mutual Fund