Emotional Involvement

I'll bet with almost anyone that has stocks or mutual funds in his portfolio that he has losers, but he won't sell them because he "likes them" or some similar excuse. This is the philosophy of a loser.

You cannot become emotionally involved with anything you have bought whether it is stocks, mutual funds, collectibles, real estate, etc. etc. When you see the value of these things heading down it is time to try to salvage some of your money even if you have to take a loss.

I have seen people hang on to a piece of land (or a stock) for years just so they could get out "even". Believe me "even" is not even. Suppose you paid $20,000 for the land and it took you 8 years to find someone willing to buy it for $20,000. If you could have sold it for $15,000 and put the money in a money market account at 6% for 8 years you would now have more than the original $20,000 ($20,495). When you invest money in anything you cannot afford to have emotional ties to it. You must be willing to sell when the time comes. Most people don't want to sell for two reasons. They won't take a loss; however, the main reason is psychological - they don't want to admit they were wrong. When I was a broker I would watch people trade. Almost none of them were trading to make money although that was what they said. They were trading to find out how much pain they could stand from losing. They were trading for emotional reasons.

The difference between professional traders and a non-professional investor is the ability to divorce themselves from the emotions of the trade. Win, lose or draw the pro knows the risk and is willing to take that loss quickly if it should occur.

Emotional involvement in investing is one of the best ways I know of to lose money. You must be able to look dispassionately at your stocks, bonds and mutual funds and be able to sell them when they turn negative. Negative does not mean go to a loss. It may mean they are no longer making a good return every year with your money and it is time to move to some other stock or fund. You might have a stock that has doubled since you bought it, but that was 2 years ago and it has done nothing since then. Time to sell. Look at your annual ROI (return on investment) of each individual issue to determine if your money is doing better than the overall market or whatever your personal criteria might be.

Many years ago I heard how they caught monkeys. The hunters would drill a hole in a coconut shell just small enough so the monkey could fit his open hand through the hole. It was tied to a tree with a strong cord. Inside there was fruit and sugar. The monkey put his hand in, grasped the goodies, but could not get his closed fist out. He would not even let go when the hunter came to capture him. Unfortunately, there are many investors grasping at losing positions. Isn't time to let go of some of those stocks you have been holding because you "like" them?

Let go of those emotional ties. You will make more money.

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

http://www.mutualfundmagic.com; 1-888-345-7870

Beecher limo rentals ..
In The News:

Safeguarding your digital life with a reliable physical backup isn't just a precaution, it's a necessity. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson provides the essential backup checklist.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how a Redditor exposed false recycling claims at their apartment, highlighting a report that only 21% of U.S. recyclables are processed.
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson offers a travel toolkit featuring five technology tools to help you with booking flights and hotels for your summer vacation.
The bubble behind the clock on your iPhone can appear in different colors. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains what each of those colors mean.
Scammers are using the power of artificial intelligence to mimic voices of people and are using the fake voices to commit crimes, like kidnappings.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains the science behind the Invisibility Shield, a 6-foot shield that makes people become invisible.
The International Olympic Committee on Friday announced plans to use AI in various Olympic aspects, including athlete identification, training and judging.
Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains an easy trick to avoid squinting while working or surfing the web by zooming in on your personal computer.
Streaming giant Roku has recently been targeted by a pair of cyberattacks, and the company confirmed over a half million Roku accounts were compromised.
The Land Aircraft Carrier combines an all-terrain, six-wheeled vehicle with a two-seat aircraft, which features electric vertical takeoff and landing.
The European Union has sent TikTok a "request for information" on the video sharing platform's newest app, TikTok Lite, under the Digital Services Act, with the aim to clean up social media.
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 FBI is warning the public about a recent phishing scam via text that claims its targets owe money in Pennsylvania for unpaid road toll charges.
Your Apple Music settings may be revealing to your contacts what you're listening to. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains the process to change those settings.
Learn how to secure social media accounts, implement legacy contacts, and create a digital estate plan to protect your online assets from 'ghost hackers' after your death.
A ported phone number scam is leading to more people having their identities stolen by sophisticated scammers. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson tells you what you need to know.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a vast marine debris vortex, is being tackled by The Ocean Cleanup’s innovative technologies. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson explains.
Discover easy solutions to tame autocorrect frustration on iOS and Android devices. Turn off, customize and add personal touches to your typing experience.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals the six top things to do right now before it’s too late: Tech and life choices that can keep your safer on and offline.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson shows you some simple steps to discreetly hide apps or an entire app page on your iPhone for decluttering or confidentiality.
The ambient light sensors on smartphones may be turned into cameras, according to researches at MIT. This could pose a threat to people's privacy.
The Autonomous Road Repair System from tech firm Robotiz3d uses artificial intelligence technology to locate potholes and promptly seal them.
Scammers have stooped to using artificial intelligence to scan obituary websites to create fake obituary websites to target the grieving.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Who Knows?

The Shadow knows. Remember him? It seems a shadow has... Read More

Discover the Biggest Trading & Investing Online Mistake

Any online investor / trader seeks an excellent off or... Read More

Investing in Trash Company Stocks

Refuse is a serious issue in any society, about as... Read More

Quality Investment Information: Standing Firm In the Face of Opposition

THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR standing firm in the... Read More

How To Beat The Mutual Fund Companies At Their Own Game

You'd have had to be living on a desert island... Read More

Option Spread Trading

Spread trading is a technique that can be used to... Read More

How To Buy And Hold

One of the most believed bits of conventional wisdom from... Read More

The Importance of Using Stop Loss Orders When Spread Trading the Financial Markets

A Guide to Using Stop Loss Orders Stop losses are... Read More

What To Buy Now

I am sure that if you have a brokerage account... Read More

8 Penny Stocks to Avoid

There are many good penny stock investments available, which could... Read More

Will the Stock Market be Lower in October?

The stock market often closes a week in the middle... Read More

NASDAQ 800?

In November of 2000 when the NASDAQ was trading at... Read More

The Elephant

Four blind men were asked to give a description of... Read More

Why Technical Indicators

The fight continues to rage among traders who use technical... Read More

Social Insecurity

Just about everything you have been told about Social Security... Read More

No Load Mutual Funds: Boost Your Portfolios Returns

Investors who exclusively use broadly diversified, no load mutual funds... Read More

Small-Cap Stocks: The Beginning of the Journey

When an individual investor wants to roll up his sleeves... Read More

A Personal Stock Market Investment Philosophy

∙ Make every investment in the stock market a long-term... Read More

The Top 10 Reasons to Invest in Mutual Funds

Everyone who follows the financial news has heard of mutual... Read More

Why Change Funds?

On November 17 I bought 7 different mutual funds and... Read More

This Market Is Different

All of the talking heads have been telling us that... Read More

Whos Calling?

Its dinnertime and the phone rings. It's Joe Noname with... Read More

Financial Crime

Congress recently passed another new law that is supposed to... Read More

What the Hell is a Stock option?

A 'stock option' is a contract between two parties giving... Read More

Why Investors Use Financial Planners

Do you have a financial planner? Does one of your... Read More

Bridgeview limo Chicago ..