Emotional Trading

The single most expensive stock market trades are those made with emotions, but, of course, you are not an emotional trader are you?

Before you bought that stock, mutual fund or Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) you did your research to be sure that what you were buying would return a good profit over the long haul. You bought it and over time you look at it less and less.

Ask yourself: when you plunked down your hard earned money did you have any idea where you would sell it or where you might exit the trade should the stock go down instead of up? And suppose it has gone up have you made any plans to protect those profits?

There were many geniuses in 1999 who bought a tech stock at $20 and saw it run to $200 only to come back down to $2. Those who had an exit strategy probably sold out as it turned over and dropped like a rock. They kept most of their profits as well as their original investment.

What kept those BuyNholders in? It was emotion. They fell in love with the stock because they "knew" it was worth more and would "come back up".

Investing is not an "I hope, I hope" business, but it is a business. Never become emotionally attached to anything you buy. If you were in the buggy whip business in 1900 and saw the automobile putting the horse out to pasture you easily knew it was time to sell out. That also applies to any investment you make in the stock market.

Once each month you should be checking to see if your various stocks are advancing as planned. Forget all those pretty research reports your broker sent you. Burn them. Now you must not care anything about that company. What you care about now is your money. As long as the stock price is advancing you may continue your love affair, but when it starts down it is time for a divorce. Time to leave before the damage gets worse.

This is where emotion becomes expensive. If you just bought it your ties are strong and you know if you sell you will have a loss. Never fall for that old broker's adage that you don't have a loss until you sell. Anyone who believes that will be eating cat food at retirement.

When you bought that new car you knew as soon as you drove it off the lot it would be worth 20% less than you paid for it. Twenty percent is a lot and more than most folks should be willing to risk when investing. Forget "the long haul" as you don't want to take the 40% losses that many investors did in 2000.

Usually a good rule of thumb is 10%. When you drive that stock off the exchange floor your risk should be limited. You decide how much you are willing to lose if it goes down instead of up and as it goes up carry that risk percentage along to lock in your profit.

If you do sell never look back. Fagedaboudit! In 80% of those sales when you do look back six months later you will see you are way ahead in the money game.

Do not allow an emotional attachment to keep you in any stock or fund. It will drain you both mentally and financially.

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

Oswego taxi to Midway ..
In The News:

Hackers and scammers keep looking for ways to break into your Facebook account. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson has some tips to make sure your account is secure.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson shows you how to create group texts to reach multiple people at once — and also how to leave them if you get annoyed at the volume of interruptions.
Tax fraud is on the rise, and hackers are now using identity hijacking and artificial intelligence for tax returns in someone else's name to get a refund.
Toyota's Punyo soft robot mimics human behavior, using its chest, hips and arms — in addition to its hands — like a human to handle objects,
Hackers used third-party information to break into Roku accounts, according to the streaming company. Roku says it has secured affected accounts.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains the simple steps for setting a Wi-Fi hot spot on an Android. If you have internet on your phone, it's easy.
Dubai recently hosted the first jet suit race with a backdrop of skyscrapers, and one observer says it was straight out of a comic book.
Kim Komando introduces ways to keep you and your devices safe while traveling. The clever hacks mentioned can protect you from hackers and jackers.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew published a video Wednesday urging users to "protect your constitutional rights" against a bipartisan bill that would force China to divest from the app.
Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson says you can never be too careful with tech passwords. He explains how to keep your information safe.
The Lighthouse in New Zealand rotates 360 degrees, constantly giving those inside different views around the clock. Built in the 1990s, it's up for sale.
High school students in Colorado are learning how to design their own AI model projects, including cameras for self-driving cars and apps that can teach other languages.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Vehicles collect sensitive personal information, which is used to set auto insurance rates. That's partly why auto insurance premiums are rising.
Honda's Uni-One is a hands-free electric mobility device that can reach speeds of 3.7 mph and support a user weighing up to 242 pounds.
Kim Komando puts three AI chatbots head-to-head to decide which is the best assistant for modern problems. Compare Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity.
To safeguard personal information on iPhones, users can employ built-in security measures and iCloud Keychain for enhanced privacy. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson shows you how.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson introduces you to the City Transformer’s CT-2 electric car, which can seamlessly transition from 8 feet wide on the road to a compact 3 feet for parking.
Hackers are always looking for new ways to trick targets into downloading malware. Now, they're after cryptocurrency folks via Calendly. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson has the details.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how the Microlino Lite, a compact and eco-friendly vehicle, tackles city traffic congestion with its chic design and small dimensions.
A new funeral scam targets surviving family members of those who recently died. Scammers reach out to the survivors and pose as funeral home officials.
Merlin Labs' autonomous pilot could soon hit the commercial airways and may help alleviate a looming pilot shortage, according to CEO Matt George.
There's a simple way to check your subscriptions on an Android and cancel them. Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains how it is done.
Hackers use pirated software to target macOS, Android and Windows devices in search of stealing cryptocurrency, according to Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson.

The Value of Stocks of a Company

The debate rages all over Eastern and Central Europe, in... Read More

Which Way The Market

I am hearing predictions by brokers, financial planners, talk show... Read More

The Stock Trading Plan - Why You Must Have One To Trade Successfully

This is the continuing story of our two imaginary traders,... Read More

Mutual Fund Commissions

You have heard about a particular mutual fund from a... Read More

Index Fund Trading Using Technical Analysis and Swing Trading Strategies

Index Fund Trading can be one of the most profitable...or... Read More

Outsourcing

It's about time someone spoke the truth concerning outsourcing. The... Read More

Structured Settlement; Lawyers in NY and Mutual Funds

Minority Report the movie may not be far off if... Read More

War Market

There is no question that the stock market is being... Read More

Trade Stocks for Real

I read a comment by a forum member on another... Read More

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... Read More

Overvalued & Underbought

With all the bad news that has been dumped upon... Read More

The Stock Market Doesnt Care if You are a Beginner?. Get Prepared to Succeed at Trading

Stock trading remains a very competitive field and the stock... Read More

Analysts - Do They Really Know The Stock Market?

When you become interested in a stock or mutual fund... Read More

On Line Stock Trading: Small Cap & Micro Stocks Go Up and Down - How Can You Profit?

Success in small cap & micro cap stock trading like... Read More

Bollinger Bands Strategies

The Bollinger Band theory is designed to depict the volatility... Read More

Can?t Stand The Heat

It seems that every day I turn on the TV... 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

A Stock Market Investment Plan that Never Lets You Down

The bulls and bears of the stock market are both... Read More

The Club

Yesterday I received my monthly issue of MONEY magazine. This... Read More

Valuation

Every day I hear from the "experts" on CNBC-TV and... Read More

Dividend Paying Stocks

I would like to share with the reader an article... Read More

Never Fall In Love!

Recently I watched my favorite football team lose a vital... Read More

Stuff

I continually hear from economists, talking heads, other market letter... Read More

Forecasting the Stock Market

Every day I see in the financial section of newspapers... Read More

Pension Plans

If you have a pension plan at work you will... Read More

shuttle from Midway Morris ..