Are you paying any attention to your retirement savings? Do you have it in cash or an account with a broker? Maybe you have a professional manager who is investing your money as you add to it every month.
Is your account increasing in value every year? If it isn't why are you letting anyone else invest for you? There is no point having a loser in charge of your money. You must take the time to direct what and where you money is invested. Too many people tell me they don't know what to do, but if your account has been going down every year you would not do any worse then the "expert".
I love those professional money managers who tell you about diversification. You know that one. Put some in stocks, some in bonds, some in annuities, and some in a money market account. Did it ever occur to you that the reason they want you to spread it around is because they don't know where the best place really is and hope that some part will make some money? Did your broker or financial planner brag that he beat the S&P index last year, but you still lost money because it was down 22%? You are better off to have it in the mattress at zero percent than watch it disappear in those monthly statements.
Brokers are not taught to make money or even how to protect your capital. The average broker has 300 accounts and unless you have a very large sum or are an active trader he doesn't even know who you are. When was the last time you spoke with him? Ask him what his investment strategy is.
In the past 3 years we have seen the general market (S&P500) lose one third of its value as of this date. And the Nasdaq has lost more than 60%. Recently the bond market has collapsed and wiped out all the profits of the previous 4 years. So much for diversification. The mattress looks better all the time.
The single most important thing about investing is not to lose money. I'm not joking. It is the basic rule of all professional traders (and I was one when I was a floor trader on the exchange) not to take big losses. You must make that a rule for yourself. Each week or at least once each month you must review what is happening in your account and weed out any and all weak stocks and mutual funds.
You can be sure your broker will not call you to sell out of a weak position. It is your money and no one has more interest in it than you do. You have to take the time out to do it yourself. Take a time out now and make that call.
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
This is an extract of an article which was first... Read More
Forget making a profit; instead focus on the income provided... Read More
I would like to share with the reader an article... Read More
The higher the market goes the more confusing are the... Read More
What does it take to be a stock trader? It... Read More
Before you embark upon a journey of trading stocks or... Read More
What! Me worry?Many of you remember the cover of MAD... Read More
The ABC's of Stock Trading SuccessStock trading success...why is it... Read More
Quick, look out the window. It's raining. No, the sun's... Read More
Refuse is a serious issue in any society, about as... Read More
When it comes to mutual funds, there is a lot... Read More
In 1960 an engineer working for a watch company in... Read More
Let's go into the details of why non-indexed mutual funds... Read More
The stock market has not been very kind to your... Read More
1. Do not spread your money too thin.My friend has... Read More
The bear market that showed up at the end of... Read More
If you were to find that you had some severe... Read More
The debate rages all over Eastern and Central Europe, in... Read More
I made my very first investment in the stock market... Read More
Everybody is riding the Wall Street Roller coaster. Even if... Read More
It has fallen upon the consumer to make our economy... Read More
Should the market turn against you, it is important that... Read More
The single most expensive stock market trades are those made... Read More
According to Investopedia Inc. the penny stock market has seen... Read More
The Shadow knows. There used to be a radio program... Read More
cleaning lady near Wilmette ..Dollar cost averaging is one of the most popular ideas... Read More
As I have said many times before in this column... Read More
You may have wondered why your mutual funds have been... Read More
One Saturday morning, while he was sitting at his computer... Read More
How many people went to a cash position this week?... Read More
At some time in your life you have been on... Read More
Robert Rodriguez likes to buy stocks at their lows. When... Read More
Do you own any mutual funds? In an IRA or... Read More
Where is the beef? Or maybe it should be where... Read More
The spring-loaded rat catcher is the ultimate low-tech device invented... Read More
The bear market that showed up at the end of... Read More
We've all heard of the stock market and probably have... Read More
The stock market has been going up for more than... Read More
There are many good penny stock investments available, which could... Read More
If you are a baby boomer, time is not on... Read More
Just 30 years ago the stock market was a shadow... Read More
Let's assume that you want to make some serious money... Read More
If you haven't heard of the technical indicator with the... Read More
Over the past few months, several investment professionals have brought... Read More
When it comes to 401k's there is an overabundance of... Read More
We learnt the following the hard way! If any of... Read More
The demand for world oil is increasing while world reserves... Read More
Why? Because I am going to shatter your conventional wisdom... Read More
I was recently interviewed for a press release through a... Read More
There are many important things you need to know to... Read More
Stocks & Mutual Fund |