12 Timeless Rules of Investing: Guidelines Every Investor Should Embrace, But Few Actually Do
An Investment U White Paper Report By Dr. Steve Sjuggerud, Advisory Panelist, Investment U In the special report below, I identify 12 classic investing rules that every investor can use throughout their lifetimes. These time-honored guidelines are proven in helping investors achieve their goals
sometimes in capitalizing on gains, and sometimes in mitigating losses. Enjoy
1. An attempt at making a quick buck often leads to losing much of that buck. - The people who suffer the worst losses are those who over-reach.
- If the investment sounds too good to be true, it is.
- The best hot tip I've found is "there is no such thing as a hot tip."
2. Don't let a small loss become large. - Don't keep losing money just to "prove you are right."
- Never throw good money after bad (don't buy more of a loser).
- When all you're left with is hope, get out.
3. Cut your losers; let your winners ride. - Avoid limited-upside, unlimited-downside investments.
- Don't fall in love with your investment; it won't fall in love with you.
4. A rising tide raises all ships, and vice versa. So assess the tide, not the ships. - Fighting the prevailing "trend" is generally a recipe for disaster.
- Stocks will fall more than you think and rise higher than you can imagine.
- In the short run, values don't matter.
5. When a stock hits a new high, it's not time to sell
something is going right. - When a stock hits a new low, it's not time to buy
something is going wrong.
6. Buy and hold doesn't ALWAYS work. - If stocks don't seem cheap, stand aside.
7. Bear markets begin in good times. Bull markets begin in bad times. 8. If you don't understand the investment, don't buy it. - Don't be wooed. Either make an effort to understand it or say "no thanks."
- You can't know everything, so don't stray far from what you know.
9. Buy value, and sell hysteria. - Paying less than the underlying asset's value is a proven successful investing strategy.
- Buying overvalued stocks has proven to underperform the market.
- Neglected sectors often offer good values.
- The "popular" sectors are often overvalued.
10. Investing in what's popular never ends up making you any money. - Avoid popular stocks, fad industries and new ventures.
- Buy an investment when it has few friends.
11. When it's time to act, don't hesitate. - Once you're in, be patient and don't be rattled by fluctuations.
- Stick with your plan . . . but when you make a mistake, don't hesitate.
- Learn more from your bad moves than your good ones.
12. Expert investors care about risk; novice investors shop for returns. - If you focus on the risks, the returns will eventually come for you.
- If you focus on the returns, the risks will eventually come for you.
Good investing, Steve Best-selling financial author Dr. Mark Skousen writes about these investment truths and much, much more in his FREE, three-times weekly Investment U E-Letter. If you're not currently receiving the Investment U E-Letter, simply fill in your email address below
You can also take a look at how The Oxford Club builds long-lasting wealth. Related Articles: View the complete 12 Timeless Rules of Investing white paper in .PDF format Copyright 2005-2008, Investment U, 105 W. Monument St., Baltimore, MD 21201 All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced or placed on any electronic medium without written permission from the publisher. Information contained herein is obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
Investment U is the educational arm of The Oxford Club. |