Emotional Maturity

If you are going to be a winner in the stock market you must have emotional maturity. I did not say you had to be smart or know how to pick stocks and mutual funds.

Once someone buys a stock or mutual fund he immediately seems to have a love affair with it. It can become a fatal attraction that can lead to disaster.

All brokers and financial planners are taught to buy and hold no matter what happens to the price of an equity. They get married to it and hope that it will treat them well while they are together. Today about 50% of all marriages end in divorce yet people will hold on to a stock forever that has gone down waiting for it to come back so they can get out "even". In a bad marriage you never get out even.

Any time you buy a stock or mutual fund you must have an exit strategy in place or face dire consequences meaning loss of your investment. When I was a floor trader on the exchange I would buy various equities, but before I made my purchase I always knew in advance how much risk I was willing to take. My prenuptial was in place.

Here is the greatest secret to making money in the stock market. It is knowing when to sell. Always figure you will have a loss until you see it go up and from then on your primary purpose is to keep the profit you have made. Never give back profits. If you become emotionally tied to any stock or fund it will definitely come back to bite you.

In 1998 you could have bought Janus 20, one of the largest and best known mutual funds, for $40 per share and gleefully watched it go up to $93. Today it is selling for $35. That love affair has cost someone money. If the investor had looked at that mutual fund as just another piece of paper to hold as long as the principal was appreciating he would have been dollars ahead. Brokers and financial planners foster this kind of immature thinking because they know they might upset the client if they told him to sell his dearly beloved shares.

Every professional trader I know would not subscribe to the long haul theory. That is the death of a retirement account. So many people buy a stock and refuse to sell it for less than they paid for it. Would it not have been better to have taken a small loss and had that money to invest in a better situation?

The immature investor is willing to take a big loss rather than a small one. It takes fortitude to be able to sell out of a losing position. When you learn this lesson you will become wealthy.

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

Lincoln Stretch rentals Alsip ..
In The News:

Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson offers solutions to fixing a personal computer that freezes up. There are a number of reasons this might be happening.
The rollout of Apple's iOS 17 brought a subtle "Rebound" notification tone that's gotten some criticism. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains a fix.
Fitness centers and workout studios are starting to establish policies that prohibit shooting phone videos to protect people's privacy.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents
Apple recently notified a small number of iPhone customers in 92 countries that their phones may be under attack by mercenary spyware.
An artificial intelligence-powered home security system can fire paintballs and tear gas at trespassers. The camera identifies human faces and animals.
Technology expert Kim Komando gives her tips and tricks on enhancing your user experience a smartphone and other devices you use everyday.
A new camera called NUCA uses artificial intelligence to create deepfake photos of subjects by stripping away clothing in close to real time.
The Kimberley Kube trail-ready camper has a compact but spacious design and combines luxury, functionality and ruggedness for a weekend getaway.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Emails instructing you to reset your password for an account may be legitimate, or they may be scams. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains.
Northrop Grumman's Manta Ray uncrewed underwater vehicle aims to revolutionize undersea missions — it glides through the ocean without human assistance.
Learn how to work Google's calendar application to streamline and organize your daily tasks from technology expert Kim Komando.
If you do not want Facebook to have automatic access to your private photos, follow our tips to protect yourself. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson shows you how.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson goes into detail about Apple’s recent iOS update that allows iPhone users to instantly translate spoken language simply by using the Action Button.
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.

Shorting Stocks ? The Basics, Part I of II

What does it mean to short a stock?This means that... Read More

Online Investing & Stock & Share Trading: 4 Reasons Why Most Online Investors & Traders Go Broke

Are you attracted to the idea of being in control... Read More

Play another Day

Money management starts with protecting your capital, realizing profits and... Read More

Box Of Chocolates

Ever have one of those sample boxes of candy? Each... Read More

How To Buy And Hold

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

The Shadow

The Shadow knows. There used to be a radio program... Read More

Investing Basics - Stocks, Mutual Funds, Real Estate & Online Investing

Have you ever thought of investing? Do you have a... Read More

No Load Mutual Funds or Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)?

If you are fed up with early redemption charges and... Read More

Prosperity

It has fallen upon the consumer to make our economy... Read More

Lies, Damn Lies and Mutual Fund Returns

How many times has this happened to you? You're at... Read More

Adding Funds

Someday you may want to retire and continue to live... Read More

Stock Market Investing Odds

The greatest stock market myth is the idea that investing... Read More

Trading Education: The Best of Both Worlds!

I made my very first investment in the stock market... Read More

Tips to Finding Other People?s Simple Trading Plans

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

Hill of Hope

Just about now everyone is confused as to which way... Read More

Stock Market Course .... Day Trader Online Seminar ... Can You Generate Profits Trading from Home?

When it comes to stock market trading it PAYS to... Read More

Pension Plans

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

The Big Bad Bear

The big bad bear is stirring again. So far he... Read More

Why Investors Use Financial Planners

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

How Much Information Do You Need?

You have decided to buy some stock or mutual funds,... Read More

Gurgle Gurgle

Caught in a whirlpool and being sucked under. No life... Read More

Forecasting the Stock Market

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

Its A Duck

If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck... Read More

Evaluation II

As I said in Part I everyone in the insane... Read More

How Covered Calls Turned a Trader Around

Sidney felt sick as she looked at her latest OptionsXpress... Read More

Western Springs shuttle limo ..