Being Wrong Buying Stock is Okay

Being wrong is OK, but let's not carry it to extremes. That applies to everything, but let's limit our discussion here to the stock market.

I have been trading for several decades and was an exchange memebr and floor trader for 17 years. You learn fast there or you go broke in a hurry. As you can see I managed to hold my own for a few years until I found the secret and started to become a successful trader. Every professional trader I know knows the one great secret and that is to keep your losses small.

We all learned that when we took a position - either long or short - that we better be able to jump out if the trade was not going our way. Many of my friends were scalpers. That means they were trading for just a few ticks and every night went home flat. Flat is no positions at all.

Others, myself included, took a longer look and planned to hold a position for a period of time. That could be several days or weeks. If you were right the longer you held on the more money you would make.

The general public seems think that exchange members know everything and always made money. Tain't so. Many traders were wrong more than 50% of the time. Huh? Yes, fifty percent. My account had losses 40% of the time and 20% were scratch trades (neither winners nor losers).

You ask, "If you are out of the money 60% of your trades how can you make money?" This is what every professional knows: Keep your losses small and let your profits run. How many times have you heard that one? BUT how many times have you ignored that rule?

At the end of the year when you analyze your trades you find that you made $3.00 for each $1.00 you lost you will show a nice big profit.

I don't care what business you are in you don't put your whole wad on a single outcome and stick with it until it either works or go broke. That is what brokers and mutual fund managers want you to do. They want you to buy, but never sell.

It is a tragedy for the small investor today that mutual fund families are putting in selling restrictions to discourage investors from dumping funds that are headed down. Many require long holding periods and if you sell prior to that time they charge an extra fee of 2%. They give lame excuses that I know are not true for doing this. Never buy any fund or trade with any brokerage company that has that kind of rule.

It is cheaper to pay the 2% or whatever fee there is and get out than hang around and lose 20% to 40% of your equity. Look back at 2000 to 2003. This can happen again despite what your broker tells you.

Be wrong and run home with most of your money. You still have enough to invest in a better opportunity. If you are disciplined to get out of any bad situation early you will end up a rich person.

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

recurring maid service Buffalo Grove ..
In The News:

The iconic Mary Kay pink Cadillac goes electric with the Cadillac Optiq, available only to the company's top 1% of sales force performers.
Cybercriminals abuse trusted Intel driver to gain kernel access and shut down Windows Defender, enabling undetected malware deployment since July 2025.
Using email aliases for online shopping and subscriptions can protect your privacy by preventing companies from linking your activity across websites.
New research shows AI overlap does not equal job replacement, with knowledge-based roles seeing most integration while physical jobs remain least affected.
Scammers target seniors who avoid social media by exploiting public records like obituaries and real estate filings to steal personal information and money
Recovery team in Italy use AI-enabled drones to detect missing hiker's red helmet, leading to successful recovery after months of ground searches
Google Salesforce system breach exposes business data while scammers use incident to target users with fake security calls and phishing attempts.
Google announces Pixel 10 lineup with Tensor G5 chip and Gemini Nano AI, introducing Magic Cue, Pro Res Zoom up to 100x and satellite emergency support features.
C San Diego study reveals 86% of school safety companies monitor students 24/7 on personal devices, raising privacy concerns.
Users can now add their favorite outlets' coverage to the Top Stories section of Google search results by utilizing the 'preferred sources' feature. With just a few clicks, you can add Fox News.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS shows an unexpected frontal glow that Harvard's Avi Loeb says cannot be explained by sunlight reflection or standard cometary outgassing.
Receiving order confirmations for purchases you never made could mean your email address is being exploited in fraud operations targeting multiple retailers.
First wireless brain implant works with Apple's official protocol, enabling hands-free control of iPhones, iPads and Vision Pro through thought alone.
Data brokers sell personal details that scammers use to target retirement funds through fake financial advisor calls and convincing phishing attempts
Ten innovative tech solutions from gait sensors to smart pill dispensers help adults 65+ track fall risks and prevent injuries before they happen.
Meta AI internal documents revealed chatbots were allowed to flirt with children and engage in romantic conversations until the company was exposed by Reuters.
ChatGPT will avoid giving direct mental health advice under new OpenAI rules following instances where the AI model provided harmful or misleading responses.
Your phone tracks you in more ways than that little GPS icon suggests. Here’s how to find and clear hidden location logs on iPhone and Android.
Authorities in France and the Netherlands have been notified. Meanwhile, impacted customers are being told to stay alert.
Apple just rolled out a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature to specific models, following a recent victory in a legal dispute.
Kidney dialysis provider DaVita experienced a ransomware breach by the Interlock gang affecting 916,000 people in the second-largest U.S. healthcare attack of 2025.
A Chinese-made Unitree R1 robot walked Manhattan streets and shopped for shoes as part of KraneShares' $28 million AI robotics fund promotion campaign.
The ShinyHunters cybercriminal group breached Google's Salesforce system through vishing attacks, stealing business contact details and customer data.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Financial Crime

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

Evaluation I

An insane person cannot evaluate an insane evaluation system.As you... Read More

The Next Bull Market

We are already in it, but you can't see it.... Read More

Kick The Tires

Before you buy another car you walk around the lot,... Read More

What is a Mutual Fund?

Ever wondered what is a mutual fund? A mutual fund... Read More

The Inside Scoop on Mutual Fund Rip Offs

The bear market that showed up at the end of... Read More

Dollar Cost Averaging

Dollar cost averaging is one of the most popular ideas... Read More

401K-itis

Are you one of those many people who dread reading... Read More

Mutual Fund Ball and Chain

The broker told me not to sell because the mutual... Read More

Option Trading Basics

Options trading can increase the profits you make when trading... Read More

Dividend Reinvestment Plans: Investing on Automatic Pilot

If you're like many investors who squander those small dividend... Read More

The I Word is Coming to a Town Near You

Hello Inflation, it has been awhile, I see you on... Read More

What is a Trading Plan ? and Why You Need One?

How do you make money without picking tops and bottoms?I... Read More

Performance Funds

Mutual funds are doing more and more to discourage investors... Read More

Bottoms Ups

If you have talked to a stock broker or financial... Read More

Tips to Finding Other People?s Simple Trading Plans

Did you know you can make money (and a lot... Read More

The Golden Goose is Sick

It is finally catching up with them. The brokerage companies... Read More

Boiler Room 7/17/00

On Friday or Saturday evening my wife gets a movie... Read More

?Fears Only Enemy Is Action?

What a great statement!I just heard someone use it in... Read More

Its Better

Question: How does it get better when it gets worse?Last... Read More

Choosing An Investment Stock Broker

If you want one.And I don't recommend any broker with... Read More

Top 25 Growth Funds

On Monday, November 25, 2000 Investor's Business Daily listed on... Read More

Economists #2

Economists know more about how the fragments of society work... Read More

Diversification

Wall Street's watchword has always been diversification, but what does... Read More

Hedge Funds: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Alfred Winslow Jones started hedge funds in 1949. He was... Read More

premium house cleaning Glenview ..