Do you have a financial planner? Does one of your friends have a financial planner? Maybe you take your advice from your broker. As I have said countless times before a broker will make you broker. And a financial planner won't do any better. I know. You thought they would.
Let's look at the real reason investors choose to take advice from these so called "experts". Once they get you into their office or sitting with you at the dining room table or kitchen table you are doomed. Mr. F.P. has come prepared with beautiful slick color brochures and will have a presentation that will utterly confuse, bedazzle and befuddle. You will sit there and be afraid to ask a question because you know it is so dumb. You can't say 'no' or you will be admitting how dumb you are. And he knows that.
It is not that he is a liar. (I hope.) It is that all financial planners and brokers are taught the Wall Street method of "making money". Unfortunately it doesn't work.
The basic things that have been pounded into their heads are false. Let's look at the big three: Do Research, Dollar Cost Average and Buy and Hold. There are others, but these you will hear from every broker and financial planner because that is what the big brokerage companies and mutual fund families want. They want your money and they want to keep it even when the stocks or funds you own go down. In fact, buy some more.
Research is like blowing in the wind. You will be inundated with green sheets, blue sheets, red sheets, slick full color glossies, videos, etc., etc. Think about this. If you can obtain this information then so can everyone else. Everything that is known about a particular stock is reflected in the last price. Morningstar will sell you a beautiful package about a company, but it is worthless. What you really want to know is will it go up after I buy it?
Of course, if it goes down you will be encouraged to buy more to average out your price so that when it heads up again you will make a fortune. Yes, and pigs can fly.
If it does go down your advisor may say to hold on as the market always comes back. He doesn't tell you it may take 20 years or that the company might go out of business. Buy and Hold is the greatest myth of Wall Street. No one ever tells you to sell. Have you been told you don't have a loss until you take it? Please!
You got that advisor because you have not admitted to your self that you cannot pull the trigger. When you have a stock or fund that is falling you don't want to sell. You have to take charge of your money. Just you.
When you look back at the performance of most financial planners from 2000 to 2003 you know you can do a better job. Always ask to see what they did then. If they lost money you don't want them. Don't let them compare their performance to the S&P500. That's smoke and mirrors.
You can do better. Just do it.
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
disinfecting cleaning services Winnetka ..People are always asking me when should I sell my... Read More
Are you paying any attention to your retirement savings? Do... Read More
Day trading is all about making buy and sell decisions.... Read More
In my opinion, due to the volatility of stock market... Read More
Fundamental analysis.Fundamentals analysis says the best way to predict the... Read More
With over 6,000 mutual funds available, it may be tempting... Read More
The big bad bear is stirring again. So far he... Read More
Congress recently passed another new law that is supposed to... Read More
One of the great "secrets" of successful people is discipline... Read More
The greatest stock market myth is the idea that investing... Read More
Have you seen all those big full page ads for... Read More
The higher the market goes the more confusing are the... Read More
Time to look back2004 is over, now we are in... Read More
I was recently interviewed for a press release through a... Read More
Right now there doesn't seem to be any "gold fever".... Read More
Every Wall Street analyst, financial planner and broker will tell... Read More
Today's society gives special recognition to alcoholics, sexaholics, binge-aholics, shopaholics,... Read More
How can you dispel an illusion unless you look directly... Read More
Sidney felt sick as she looked at her latest OptionsXpress... Read More
If you are fed up with early redemption charges and... Read More
If you've ever flipped on the television to CNN Financial... Read More
On Monday, November 25, 2000 Investor's Business Daily listed on... Read More
As one of my regular readers you know I have... Read More
What is leverage?Here is a definition of leverage from an... Read More
This is a rather simple strategy with which I am... Read More
last minute cleaning help Highland Park ..The Shadow knows. There used to be a radio program... Read More
After the publication of the first part of this two... Read More
How many people went to a cash position this week?... Read More
Before you buy another car you walk around the lot,... Read More
I am hearing predictions by brokers, financial planners, talk show... Read More
We keep hearing about this bear market and that the... Read More
Should the market turn against you, it is important that... Read More
You have decided to buy some stock or mutual funds,... Read More
If you don't know what a Roth IRA is then... Read More
According to Investopedia Inc. the penny stock market has seen... Read More
Disclaimer: Please note that I do not necessarily purchase, own,... Read More
Stock trading remains a very competitive field and the stock... Read More
"Buy and hold" is one of the most heralded investment... Read More
Because there are so many stocks that are NOT paying... Read More
One of the greatest challenges of investing in stocks is... Read More
During the month of January the Dow Jones Industrial Average,... Read More
(1) CHK stock price $16.74, NAV $32.5CHK is my favorite... Read More
How many times has this happened to you? You're at... Read More
I continually hear from economists, talking heads, other market letter... Read More
Two weeks ago I wrote about what the Securities and... Read More
Every day I hear someone on CNBC proclaim that "this... Read More
Options trading can increase the profits you make when trading... Read More
When most analysts, financial planners, fund specialists and investors try... Read More
Because you don't feel too sure about which stock or... Read More
We all know the expression, "My country, right or wrong",... Read More
Stocks & Mutual Fund |