Ever turn down a street, get half way and suddenly realize it is one way and you are going the wrong way? Is that the way you feel when you look at your stock brokerage statement?
In either case don't panic. You can get out of that one way street by carefully backing out. Recouping your stock market losses also means you must back out. Many people lost 50% of their investment in the last year because they were going the wrong way and could not back out. You must admit you are doing it wrong and stop immediately just as you did in your car. In a car you have been taught there is a reverse gear so you know how to get out of this bad situation. No one has ever taught you how to extricate yourself from a losing position in the stock market - certainly not your broker and most financial planners don't know either.
Let's look first at how you got here. You bought stocks or mutual funds without an exit plan. I'll put it away "for the long haul" and won't worry about it. The nicest thing I can say about that type of investing is "STUPID". You have an exit plan for the one way street; now you need an exit plan for your remaining money. It is the same. Back out. You have to acknowledge you are doing it wrong. Hiding from this mistake means you will continue to lose money. Do you want to do that or would you rather find a solution to not losing money again?
O.K., you have looked in the mirror and you say I am ready. Look at that brokerage statement and sell every loser you have. Every one! This takes emotional courage. Do it. Now you have cash. Don't do anything until you have a plan and that plan has an absolute, set-in-concrete foundation: never buy any stock or mutual fund unless I limit my risk from the day I purchase it. One of the best rules is a 10% Good Until Cancelled Stop-Loss Order. Brokers hate these because it means they will have to check your account daily. Don't believe him when he says, "Don't worry, I will watch your account". He won't. It is not his money.
Using this very simple technique you will never lose large sums of money. Also as your stock moves up you raise (never lower) the stop-loss order each week following it 10% under each Friday's closing price until you are eventually taken out of the position with a profit or, at worst, a small loss. The stock itself will tell you when to sell when it turns weak.
You have been driving for a lot of years and have gotten out of some tight places. Now you know how to not lose money in the stock market. Back out. Do it today. Put in your stops.
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
one time home cleaning Morton Grove ...Mutual funds and brokers are always preaching not to buy... Read More
One of the great "secrets" of successful people is discipline... Read More
I would like to share with the reader an article... Read More
You have decided to buy some stock or mutual funds,... Read More
When you become interested in a stock or mutual fund... Read More
If you are a baby boomer, time is not on... Read More
When it comes to 401k's there is an overabundance of... Read More
That sounds like good advice doesn't it? Don't lose all... Read More
'Sector funds are too risky.' 'I doubled my money with... Read More
As I have said many times before in this column... Read More
Look back over the years and try to remember how... Read More
The date October 13, 2000 will forever be embedded in... Read More
Mutual funds are doing more and more to discourage investors... Read More
If you have a pension plan at work you will... Read More
Should the market turn against you, it is important that... Read More
It has often been said that there is only two... Read More
How many times have you said to yourself, "I'd like... Read More
The ABC's of Stock Trading SuccessStock trading success...why is it... Read More
What the heck am I talking about?It is often said... Read More
This article describes the model of a natural relationship between... Read More
Whenever I see mutual fund comparisons in the trade publications... Read More
What a great statement!I just heard someone use it in... Read More
A recent cartoon in my daily newspaper showed two guys... Read More
To become a successful trader you must have some kind... Read More
For the year 2000 we have seen hundreds of mutual... Read More
housekeepers near Winnetka ...We all know that emotions control every decision that an... Read More
One of the things people are always asking me is... Read More
People are constantly asking me why is the stock market... Read More
If you have talked to a stock broker or financial... Read More
I often play a little game with myself when I... Read More
With an insecure job market, overworked employees, insufficient retirement savings... Read More
When is a dividend not a dividend?The latest thing "conservative"... Read More
It is difficult to make money in a bull market,... Read More
When an individual investor wants to roll up his sleeves... Read More
Recently I watched my favorite football team lose a vital... Read More
We all know the expression, "My country, right or wrong",... Read More
You'd have had to be living on a desert island... Read More
Suppose your position has made a big move and you... Read More
Index Fund Trading can be one of the most profitable...or... Read More
Fundamental analysis.Fundamentals analysis says the best way to predict the... Read More
If you have not back tested your trading system, you... Read More
As one of my regular readers you know I have... Read More
How many people went to a cash position this week?... Read More
The Shadow knows. Remember him? It seems a shadow has... Read More
Picture one of those clubs where only the real heavyweights... Read More
What account size do I need?How much money can I... Read More
This is the continuing story of our two imaginary traders,... Read More
Wall Street has been preaching for years and years to... Read More
So you're started trading, you bought some positions with your... Read More
One of the basic laws of physics states that a... Read More
Stocks & Mutual Fund |