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Al Thomas - EzineArticles.com Expert Author   RSS

Albert W. Thomas has spent most of his life in the field of finance. In 1965 he founded an insurance holding company, Security Dynamics Investment Corporation, after having been an agent and General Agent for several life insurance companies. In 1970 he became cofounder and president of Real Life Estate, Inc., that marketed a unique real estate and life insurance package. After he became interested in commodities he bought a seat for ... [More]

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  • Winning Five Words
    [Investing:Stocks] Having been an exchange member and floor trader for 17 years I had to learn those words the hard way. Few investors ever learn and even less practice them. Having seen many new members come into the pit it was always educational to watch the old timers slowly strip the newbie of his money.


  • Mutual Fund Meltdown
    [Investing:Mutual-Funds] There is a fascinating story of the meltdown of the Long Term Capital Management Company (LCTM) in the book "When Genius Failed" by Roger Lowenstein. They lost 4.5 billion (with a capital B) dollars ...


  • Why Buy Gold
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] Today everyone is talking about buying gold, but not many are doing much about it because they don't know how or even why they should. Is there a good reason to buy gold? Maybe you will want to buy a "good" stock and put it away. Of course, that is what your broker will tell you.


  • Indentured Slaves of America
    [News-and-Society:Pure-Opinion] Let's understand what is an indentured slave. Back in the days of the Pilgrims those who wanted to come to the new land - America - had to have the money for fare and enough to get along when they arrived. Few had it. There were sponsors in America who paid their way in return for 5 years or longer of servitude.


  • Forget The Consumer
    [Finance] The great minds in Washington have figured out that the way to get us out of this recession is to have the consumer spend the way he used to. The consumer is not as dumb as experts in Washing believe.


  • The Business to Be In Now
    [Business:Career-Advice] The manufacturing base of this country has been decreasing for the past 20 years. The reasons are simple. Primarily labor costs have driven companies to go to Mexico, Vietnam, China and India.


  • Medical Tourism
    [Travel-and-Leisure] As medical expenses continue to rise (and don't believe that "free" government health care is free) there will be more and more people taking off for foreign lands to find good medical service at great savings. Costa Rica, India, Mexico, Germany, Spain and many others have very qualified physicians with cost savings as great as 80%.


  • Cash Is Best Now
    [Investing] You will never hear that from any broker. Even the discount brokers won't utter it. Almost every investor I speak with tells me his account has lost value over the past several months.


  • Congressional Stampede
    [News-and-Society:Pure-Opinion] Secretary (His Majesty) Paulson is stampeding Congress into spending taxpayers' money to bail out Wall Street and other bankers. If you and I had bought these bad mortgages or the CDOs (Credit Default Obligations) who would bail us out? No one. We would have to work it out on our own.


  • Bye, Bye, Baby - Not Buy, Buy, Baby
    [News-and-Society:Pure-Opinion] Been listening to the investment analysts, brokers, financial planners and cheerleaders on CNBC-TV? All the financial publications are listing their "favorites" to buy or hold.


  • There Is No Such Thing As "Good" Stock
    [Investing:Stocks] All stocks go up and down. Easy way to always be on the right side.


  • Watch The Market Dive
    [Investing:Stocks] The form is predictable. The execution is slightly different. That is the difference in a belly whopper and a 10 at the Olympics. Each participant slowly climbs the ladder to the height that has been chosen.


  • Can't Stop Asset Deflation While Unemployment Is Rising
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] Our head of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, has been flooding the market with money to try to drive down interest rates to stimulate the housing market and put a floor under the declining prices. It ain't gonna happen.


  • What Can A Laid Off Worker Expect?
    [News-and-Society:Pure-Opinion] In today's society almost everyone believes he is entitled. Entitled to everything whether he is working or not. Let's take a realistic look at compensation.


  • Munis Are NOT Safe
    [News-and-Society:Economics] The danger of investing in municipal bonds. Defaults are very possible.


  • Buy A New Used Car
    [Automotive] How Congress is taking over the auto industry. Have you seen the new Braroom Frank 20? Very light weight. Gets 200 miles to the gallon. Has a 20 horsepower engine and goes from zero to 30 in 2 miles...


  • Buy Blue Chips and Go Broke
    [Investing:Stocks] What is a Blue Chip? It is supposed to be a stock that is "good". Good by any definition means it is to the benefit of the owner or user. When it refers to a stock it mean it will make money for the stockholder. That could be short term, but usually refers to the long term, Buy and Holder. Most of the stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average are considered "blue chips". Really?


  • The Elephant
    [News-and-Society:Economics] There were four blind men who were taken to the zoo. During their journey in the zoo they came upon an elephant. Their guide had left them and could not give a description of the animal.


  • The Tide Has Changed
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] We are all familiar with the oceanic tides. The water rises and retreats twice a day affected by the moon as the Earth rotates. It is one of the many cycles that occur regularly about us.


  • How to Profit in a Bear Market
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] Hope you didn't lose any money in the market this year. Maybe you haven't noticed we are in a bear market. I'm sure your broker hasn't mentioned it - or even called. Brokers don't like to talk to their customers when the market is going down. If you happen to call him he will fall back on the tried and true loser, dollar cost averaging.


  • Jobs Vs Making Work
    [News-and-Society:Economics] Our new president has promised America 3,000,000 jobs. There is a big difference is hiring folks to work for a while and providing a new job.


  • Annual Predictions
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] Every year in the last issue of Forbes, Fortune, Money, Kiplinger and countless other publications the magazine mavens predict the best performers for the coming year. It is almost a given they are always wrong.


  • Who Caused This Mess?
    [News-and-Society:Economics] Everyone wants to know who caused this mess. The housing debacle, the credit crunch, auto companies on the edge of bankruptcy and unemployment skyrocketing. I am going to tell you and you aren't going to like it.


  • Tariffs - The Next Abomination From Washington
    [Finance:Taxes] Now that the unions own Congress and will be expanding their control and increasing wages the next cry will be to "protect" our workers from foreign competition with tariffs. There are many types of tariffs: revenue, specific, protective, ad valorem and prohibitive. They are all the same thing - a hidden tax that is paid by the consumer.


  • How to Know Market Direction
    [Investing:Stocks] There are times to be in the market and times to be out. Know the difference.


  • CYA = ETF
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] Here is a formula very few have seen. Let me explain what it is and how it works. Cover Your Assets with Exchange Traded Funds.


  • How to Buy and Sell
    [Investing:Stocks] If you have any interest in investing you have been taught to do research on any company stock, mutual fund, bond or exchange traded fund. Your broker has provided you with reams of information showing corporate sales, Price/Earnings ratios, sales projections, sector analysis, management capabilities, profit structure and on and on. You are expected to make head and tail of this mess, and decide if this is a good company and decide if the stock will go up after you buy it.


  • How to Change Brokers and Save Your Funds
    [Investing:Stocks] Has your account been losing money lately? Been thinking about changing brokers, money managers or account managers? I guarantee they are not going to make it easy for you.


  • How to Know When the Bear Market is Over
    [Investing:Stocks] For the past 6 months and longer everyone has been denying we are in a bear market. Mr. Market has not been paying attention to the nay sayers and has been declining.


  • Wall Street's 10 Biggest Lies
    [Investing] If you believe what Wall Street brokerage houses tell you you will never make any money. In fact you will lose money.


  • The Fallacy of Dividends
    [Investing] The most recent craze for brokers, fund managers and financial planners is to buy stocks that have been paying dividends for many years. Then the investor is told to reinvest the dividends. That sounds good, but does that mean the stock will not go down?


  • Finding a Winning Stock
    [Investing:Stocks] You don't believe this is a major bear. Well, you are in for an expensive lesson. All the "experts" on TV and the radio and the pretty cheerleaders on TV all seem to think we are at a "bottom". It's time to buy.


  • Time to Buy - Not
    [Investing] Stocks, ETFs and mutual funds cannot make money in a major bear market. Learn to protect your investments.


  • Value Investing Equals Nonsense
    [Investing] No one needs talk about the condition of the stock market today. In a word it stinks. So many people have been watching their 401Ks decrease in value they won't open their statements.


  • How Stop Loss Orders Make Money
    [Investing:Stocks] You probably know what a stop loss order is, but I better explain because your broker does not want you to use this technique to protect your investments. If he doesn't want to follow instructions you better get another broker because he is going to lose your money. His brokerage company also does not want you to do this because even if you don't trade and leave your positions dormant they still make about 1% while you are losing equity.


  • New Cadillac
    [News-and-Society:Pure-Opinion] I need a new Cadillac. It won't cost much because I own the company. General Motors. That is. Oh yes, I own it. Or will shortly. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives told me she is going to buy it for me. And you too.


  • Breathe Deeply - But Hold Your Nose
    [News-and-Society:Pure-Opinion] I have been hearing from Washington how wonderful the new cap and trade bill is and how it is going to solve the world greenhouse gas pollution problem. Of course no one has yet established or proven that CO2 gases are pollution, but that's OK. There is a working device that removes CO2 from the atmosphere, but let's understand it really is not about pollution.


  • Get Rich Quick Trading Courses
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] I love those full page ads in financial publications telling me how wonderful their class is and how it will make me rich - or my money back. Yeah, and pigs can fly. Most of the classes will provide a book, various manuals and software.


  • Paddle My Fannie
    [Real-Estate] The news is full of Fannie Mae this and Fannie Mae that. Who is Fannie and why should I care? Fannie Mae (stock symbol FNM) stands for Federal National Mortgage Association. She has a brother named Freddie, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, Known as Freddie Mac.


  • Last Place For Financial Advice
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] Every day investors are bombarded with financial news on TV, newspapers and various other publications. Let's not mention the unsolicited junk mail on the Internet. All investors are concerned with a 401K, IRA or other retirement plans seeking reliable information.


  • Don't Buy Anything
    [Investing:Stocks] Screaming! Hollering! Gyrations! BUY! BUY! BUY! Is this the bottom? What are you buying now? That's all you hear on CNBC-TV, from brokers and so-called financial planners. The right question is, "What should I sell now?"


  • Stagflation Vs Reverse Mortgages
    [Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] First of all let's understand what stagflation is. Most folks don't know and kind of gloss over the word when they see it in the newspaper or hear it on TV. It is serious. We went thru it in 1973 - 74 and it caused the stock market to crash 40%. Many businesses failed. It means your 401K, your IRA or whatever long term savings/retirement plan you had was seriously hurt.


  • The 10% Solution
    [Investing:Stocks] Many of the pension and profit sharing plans forecast a 9% profit for the long term. Very few have made it. Some trading methods advertised claim 20% and more.


  • The Bull Is Dead - Long Live The Bear
    [Investing] Friday the bull was not only slaughtered, but it is now going to be cut into many parts. If you are one of those folks "in for the long haul" I hope you have plenty of years because there are no more bulls in the pasture. The herd has been led to the packing house.


  • Municipal Bonds Explained
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] Several weeks ago I wrote a column stating to sell municipal bonds. Several readers wrote asking which kind of bonds as there are several basic types of munis. Some should be kept and others sold.


  • Is Your 401k Safe?
    [Investing:IRA-401k] Anyone with a 401K or any other managed retirement portfolio has seen its value drop significantly in the past few weeks. Calls to the manager almost always have the same reply.


  • The Hopeful And The Skeptical
    [Investing] When a person puts on a new position in his portfolio he is both hopeful and skeptical. Mostly he is hopeful because he has done everything that the Wall Street mavens have told him to do. His research has been impeccable.


  • Hairbrained Or Harebrained
    [Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] I'm from the government and I'm here to help you. Gosh, that makes me feel good. I know they will solve all the problems.


  • Market Tops
    [Investing:Stocks] One of the most frustrating times of investing is when the stock market is making a top. By top I mean when the smart money is selling to the less knowledgeable investors. That does not necessarily mean good ole Joe Sixpack.


  • Listen To The Market
    [Investing:Stocks] Listen to the market, not your broker. During any 10-year period there will be one major break in the stock market. It may be only 20%, but many times it will run to 40% or more.


  • Brainwashing Versus Common Sense
    [Investing:Stocks] Wall Street propaganda says you need a broker to help with investment decisions. Doctors tell us you need them to help treat with serious diseases like cancer. And the biggest lie, "I'm from the government and I'm here to help you".


  • Pitfalls Of Reverse Mortgages
    [Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The radio and TV commercials are full with wonderful sounding pitches for reverse mortgages. It almost makes any home owner want to buy one. In case you are not familiar with the reverse mortgage here is a quick review.


  • Bears Feed On Disappointment
    [Investing:Stocks] It seems the bad news never stops. The market responds by going lower and lower. This has crept into the souls and pocketbooks of investors who are confused.


  • Best Buys For 2008
    [Investing:Stocks] Everyone knows how to do that. Of course, everyone usually gets it wrong.


  • Buy A Good Stock And Put It Away - Not
    [Investing:Stocks] Are you still holding Enron? Why this does not work.


  • Sell Municipal Bonds Now
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] I know. I know. They are a "safe" investment and there is no income tax due on them, BUT.


  • Is Your Bank Savings Account Safe?
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] Do you know what FDIC stands for? Most people don't.


  • In For The Long Haul - Go Broke
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] You and many thousands like you have been on the phone this week calling your broker or so-called financial planner asking, "What is going on?" Should I sell?" The answer is written in their playbook put there by the big Wall Street private interests.


  • What Is Valuation?
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] What is true for one valuation method is not true for another. How to tell the difference.


  • The Good 6 Months And The Bad 6 Months
    [Investing] There is a seasonal trading method known as "The Good Six Months and the Bad Six Months. It works - most of the time. There is no seasonal trading method that is 100% accurate.


  • Friday - Wake Up Call
    [Investing] The bugle blew. The cymbals clashed. The voice of the Market was heard loud and clear throughout the world. Sell everything.


  • Predicting the Next Market Decline - Not
    [Investing] According to the Life Cycle Model proposed by Jeremy Siegel, Phd head of the Wharton School of Economics it is not all that complicated. It states that heavy amounts of stock will be sold as Boomers retire.


  • Globalization - Why The Stock Market Will Go Higher
    [Investing:Stocks] Looking beyond the daily bad news to why the market continues to go up. Much of the talk on Wall Street, especially among the the TV guests, is about the coming recession and even the possibility of the "d" word (depression).


  • Ignorance vs Stupidity
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Over coming ignorance so not to look stupid. There are too many people to count that are intelligent yet choose to remain ignorant which makes them appear stupid.


  • Finding a Financial Planner
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] A good one is hard to find, but here are a few questions he must answer. With the recent plunge in the stock market many people who have been subject to losses have decided they need an "expert" to help them with their investment portfolio.


  • Wall Street Titanic
    [Investing] The Titanic sank because the Captain did not see the iceberg and he was told the ship was unsinkable. He and many others believed the builders and went down with the ship.


  • A Bridge Too Far
    [Finance] Where the money comes from to "fix" things. There was a war movie called "A Bridge Too Far" about a desperate operation during World War II to prevent the Germans from blowing up a bridge the Allies wanted to save so they could move men and equipment across in large numbers.


  • Adding New Positions
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] How to add selectively to a portfolio while keeping risk at a minimum.


  • Why Brokers Can't Tell You The Truth
    [Investing:Stocks] Your broker is not a crook, but his company will not let him tell you the truth.


  • Magic Bullet To Retirement
    [Finance:Wealth-Building] Everyone is looking for that magic bullet that will allow them to retire rich or at least comfortable. They want to be able to do what the TV ads show - vacationing in Fiji, fly fishing in Vermont, etc, etc.


  • Valuation Reports
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] One of the great bamboozles created for the investment public is the creation of valuation. The broker, financial planner or stock analyst says this stock is undervalued or the market in general is overvalued.


  • A Bear Reminder
    [Investing:Stocks] Recognizing when the bull changes to a bear.


  • Review Or Go Broke
    [Investing] How to protect your portfolio from loss.


  • Which Way The Market For 2007
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] Why this market will advance with all this bad news.


  • The Golden Years May Be Tarnished
    [Finance:Wealth-Building] You retire unless you have something to retire with.


  • Simple Money Management Technique
    [Investing] A simple technique revealed that always makes money.


  • Truth About Housing
    [Real-Estate:Homes] Current statistics are scary, but you won't hear them from real estate "experts".


  • Alfred E. Neuman, Stock Guru
    [Investing] When Wall Street big shots tell you they are buying be careful. They will be unloading what they don't want on you.


  • Lower Interst Rates Will Not Solve The Housing Debacle
    [Real-Estate:Homes] Qualification of the buyer is more important than the rate.


  • Real Estate – Location - Stocks – Rotation
    [Investing:Stocks] There is a time to change horses, but it will be when the horse gets to the other side.


  • This Is Not 1929
    [Investing] There are times when market direction changes and you must be ready.


  • Make'Em Prove It
    [Investing] What you must find out before buying any trading system.


  • What Is Your Money Worth
    [Finance:Wealth-Building] The shrinking buying power of the U.S. dollar.


  • Jim Cramer, Pickpocket
    [Investing] How pros pick the pockets of non-pros.


  • Why Housing 1932 Style Is Returning
    [Real-Estate] The numbers are irrefutable.


  • ETFs - Better Than Mutual Funds
    [Investing:Mutual-Funds] A side by side comparison.


  • Truth About Fund of Funds
    [Investing:Stocks] The reason brokers don't talk about fund of funds.


  • New High in DOW is Meaningless
    [Investing:Stocks] The majority of the stocks in the DOW did not participate. See which ones.


  • Contrarian Trading Works
    [Investing:Stocks] Getting away from the crowd mentality.


  • Buying A Foreclosure
    [Investing] Analyzing the current market indeicates this is not a good time to buy any real estate.


  • Finding An Advisory Service
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] There are few good ones and you must find one that fits your goals.


  • Bear on a Leash
    [Investing] Is the current rally real or should investors be in bonds.


  • My Broker Doesn't Know
    [Investing] When you ask questions you will be surprised at how little your broker knows.


  • Gold is Where yo Find It
    [Investing] Gold and its consequences.


  • Your Broker isn't a Crook - He is Ignorant
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] What brokers know and don't know to make profits.


  • Market Instability
    [Investing:Stocks] It is difficult to know which event will trigger the next bear market.


  • What Have You Done For Me Lately?
    [Investing] How to keep from losing your money when the market goes down.


  • Advisory Services
    [Investing] How to protect yourself from false advertising of investment letters.


  • Invest in Real Estate - NOT!
    [Real-Estate] What to buy in a slowing economy.


  • Is Gold Still a Buy?
    [Investing] As long as the Fed continues to print worthless "dollars" gold will be a buy.


  • Read That Prospectus - Not
    [Investing] Prostectuses were written for the lawyers in their little Dilbert cubicles in Washington and not to help the general public.


  • Are You Rich Yet?
    [Investing] The profits you have made in the last 3 years are about to be taken away - again. What can you do about it?


  • Don't Be Fooled By Fake Dividends
    [Investing] You are NOT getting a dividend when Wall Street tells you you are getting a dividend.


  • Lemmings Are Running - Again
    [Investing] Stockholders are about as close to being lemmings as can be. The new bear leg has started and they are about to go over the cliff as they did in 2000.


  • Why You Don't Make Money In The Stock Market
    [Investing] What you need to know besides information that most brokers do not.


  • Why There Are No Customers Yachts
    [Investing] Because brokers are either lieing or dumber than customers.


  • Bonds Explained
    [Investing] They aren't that complicated.


  • Never Lose Money in the Stock Market
    [Investing] This is for real. Never lose money in the stock market again. A simple one-step method that insures long term profits.


  • You Can Make Money In The Stock Market
    [Investing:Stocks] ... but not if you follow the method taught by Wall Street. They want to keep you confused so you will go to some broker who has been given the Wall Street mantra of "buy, buy, buy, never sell!"


  • Reliable Pension Plan
    [Investing] Do you have a pension plan? Are you counting on it for your retirement? Well, good luck. The chances are that when it comes due it won’t be there. Don’t kill the messenger. I’m here to help you and I’m not from the government.


  • True Value
    [Investing:Stocks] When buying a stock, mutual fund or Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) investors want to know they are receiving a good value for the money. It seems there are many methods of judging value. Most of them are complicated and many are subjective to the writer’s opinion. What is the true value now?


  • Market is Flat
    [Investing:Stocks] When you are driving down the highway looking ahead the road seems very flat yet when you stop to look at the surface of that smooth concrete you see many tiny ridges. The tires and springs of the car protect you from shocks and even potholes. To the rider it is very comfortable. Investors who buy individual stocks subject themselves to the...


  • Reverse Profit
    [Investing:Stocks] How can anything "reverse" be a profit? I go to the Money Show every year to visit with friends who have booths and are speakers. Then when folks are filing out of lectures I listen to their comments about what I know the speaker has been saying.


  • Expense Ratios Are Nonsense
    [Investing:Stocks] Here we are computing a 50% expense ratio. Who cares as long as he doubles the money? When you talk to brokers when buying mutual funds one of their pet talking points is that a particular fund has a very low expense ratio. Who cares? The only thing that is important is the final return...


  • Gold is Money
    [Finance:Currency-Trading] Gold always has been and always will be wealth, but using it as money has been a problem. Today there are articles in the financial press that certain countries (usually small ones) are going to go on the gold standard. That means you may turn in your paper certificates for a specified amount of gold.


  • World Markets
    [News-and-Society:Economics] Many of the big companies are firing a pretty large chunk of their workforce. Five thousand here, 10 thousand there and pretty soon it begins to add up. If the company can get along without them now what were they doing before?


  • Wall Street Snake Oil
    [Investing:Stocks] During every secular bear market there are cyclical bull markets. Don’t let this confuse you. It is very simple. Read on...


  • Whiplash Investing
    [Investing:Stocks] Have you ever been struck from behind while you were in your car? It usually happens at a stoplight or stopsign. Everything is nice and peaceful and BANG you get a terrible whack. Totally unexpected. Some damage to the car and maybe to you...


  • Is the Cyclical Bull Over?
    [Investing:Stocks] During every secular bear market there are cyclical bull markets. Don’t let this confuse you. It is very simple. Read on...


  • Rear View Mirror
    [Investing:Stocks] Buying a stock or mutual fund is like a driver who is going down the road at high speed, but is using looking in the rearview mirror as a guide. He can see fine out the back, but has no idea what is ahead. Sound familiar?


  • Every Path Has Puddles
    [Investing:Stocks] On the path of life there will be some rain and therefore puddles. Most are shallow and we easily splash through them and occasionally there might be a very deep one. Learning to navigate them will make the journey more pleasant.


  • Real Estate Margin Calls
    [Real-Estate] Have you ever heard of a real estate margin call? You know about stock market margin calls. That’s when you have bought more stock than you have money and borrowed from your broker to buy extra shares. You bought $10,000 of stock, but only have $5,000 in your account.


  • Investment Canary
    [Investing:Stocks] Years ago before all the electronic sensors miners would take a canary down into the shaft. He was a very pampered bird as he represented life or death. If he dropped off his perch unconscious the miners ran for the exit as fast as possible. The little guy had detected poison fumes. Yes, they carried the canary out when they left.


  • The Fat Lady
    [Investing:Stocks] The operatic fat lady is singing and she has many choruses to go. As you know an opera is a musical drama. Unfortunately the one we are watching has terrible screeching with discordant sounds. This opera is called The Market and the scene we are watching is called The Bear. She started singing 3 years ago and is becoming worse and worse. Will she ever stop?


  • Mutual Fund Categories
    [Investing:Mutual-Funds] I have recently been contacted by a gentleman who has a large financial Internet web site devoted to mutual funds and he has asked me to act as an editor. He sent me a list of mutual funds and asked me to list them into 53 categories...


  • Tell Me What to Do
    [Investing:Stocks] Because almost everyone has been baffled by Wall Street baloney they have accepted the conventional wisdom that every investor needs a stock broker or financial planner if they are going to invest in the stock market...


  • Vanishing Funds
    [Investing:Stocks] No, not the money you have in your brokerage account, but mutual funds. This year so far more than 600 mutual funds have vanished. Where did they go and what happened to the money in those funds that belongs to the investors? The mutual funds were either liquidated or merged out of existence...


  • Stops
    [Investing:Stocks] Think about this one. Has your broker EVER recommended that you place a stop-loss order on a stock after you have bought it? Ninety-nine percent of the brokers never think about helping you protect your capital. In fact these brokers are not taught this very important technique. The brokerage companies don't realize that by...


  • How to Place Stop Loss Orders
    [Investing:Stocks] We have established why a stop loss order is a requirement for the successful investor. Now let’s look at some of the simpler methods. There are 3 basic methods...


  • Sideways Market
    [Investing:Stocks] Last year you could have used a dart, thrown it at a stock page in the newspaper and bought that stock. By the end of the year you probably would have had a nice profit. This year you can retrieve your dart, throw it again, and there is about a 90% chance that any stock you hit will be down from its previous highs. What's going on?


  • Shift Happens
    [Investing:Stocks] Did I spell that right? What I mean is change happens. Like what we are seeing now in the stock market. In the Spring everything was headed down. For most of the Summer stocks were going sideways with few exceptions. The down-movers had made their lows and a few stocks were beginning to head up. The sideways pattern is over and we are now in the next bull leg up...


  • Senior Insecurity
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] Many millions of senior citizens and others have most if not all of their retirement portfolios in interest bearing certificates of some kind. Many have Treasury Bills, Certificates of Deposit, Government National Mortgage certificates, Money Market accounts, AAA corporate bonds and more. They have these because they are considered safe and secure and most don't fluctuate in value...


  • Speculator or Investor?
    [Investing:Stocks] Talked to your broker or financial planner lately? Probably. The slowdown in the economy is causing the stock market to go down. Of more than 5,000 stocks on the Nasdaq over 1,000 have lost 90% of their value and more than 200 have lost 99%. The Index is off 58% from its highs. Pretty scary for ‘Buy and Hold’ believers. When you ask your broker what to do he usually...


  • Investment Speed Bumps
    [Investing:Stocks] Maybe you have done the same thing as I have. Been driving down an unfamiliar street at a good pace and suddenly...


  • Market Frustrations
    [Investing:Stocks] “I bought that stock a month ago and it hasn’t done anything. My broker said it was going to take off.” Yes, and pigs can fly. How about, “I bought that stock 5 years ago and it went up and now is selling for less that it did when I bought it”. Do I hear the violins playing? There is an old, old saying...


  • China / Walmart / USA
    [News-and-Society:Politics] This week I was watching a TV program about Wal-Mart and its spectacular operations world wide. One part was about the stores they opening in China and there was one particular sentence by a young local Chinese “associate” (employee) that caught me and opened a whole new way of thinking about the possible change that might occur in US/Chinese relationship. Each Wal-Mart store could be a center for...


  • History Lesson
    [News-and-Society] This history lesson reaches far back in time and then makes a great leap forward. Some of it is true for it is recorded history and some of it is projection and is there a possible correlation? The reason I surmise is because so many people wonder where the world is going. What will the future be like for those who live another 50 years and what will our grandchildren and...


  • Investment Rowing
    [Investing] You have rowed a boat at some time haven’t you? Yes, put the oars in the water and pull. Of course, you don’t know where you are going because you are sitting backwards. Every so often you have to turn to look ahead to see if you are pulling in the right direction.


  • Why Investors Use Financial Planners
    [Investing:Stocks] Do you have a financial planner? Does one of your friends have a financial planner? Maybe you take your advice from your broker. As I have said countless times before a broker will make you broker. And a financial planner won’t do any better. I know. You thought they would.


  • KISS Formula
    [Investing:Stocks] There are formulas for just about everything, but it has been shown that the simpler the formula or method of doing a particular task the better it works. It has evolved down to KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid.


  • Jack and Jill
    [Investing:Stocks] Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a bucket of …money. Money? They are continuing to fill their bucket with stocks without any consideration to the value of these equities. They are not worried at all as they are buying “safe” mutual funds.


  • Mutual Fund Commissions
    [Investing:Mutual-Funds] You have heard about a particular mutual fund from a friend, saw it advertised on TV or read about it in some publication thought it would be a good buy. Next you call your broker to get his advice before you buy because he is an expert and is there to help you make money.


  • Parachute Investing
    [Investing:Stocks] Ever jumped out of an airplane? It’s OK if you have on a parachute. Pretty dumb if you don’t. Every buy any stocks, mutual funds or Exchange Traded Funds? It’s OK if you know how much you are willing to risk. Pretty dumb if you don’t.


  • Why Technical Indicators
    [Investing:Stocks] The fight continues to rage among traders who use technical indicators and those who prefer fundamental information to establish new positions and to exit current positions.


  • Two FundsThat Always Make Money
    [Investing:Stocks] Buy one fund when the market is going up and the other when the market is going down. Never lose money in the stock market again.


  • I Love You, Warren Buffet
    [Investing:Stocks] Sometime around 1980, can't remember exactly, there was a flight of money from many countries to Switzerland. The clock makers had so much money pouring in that the banks took interest rates to zero and even for a period of time were actually making you pay ½% interest to them to put your money in their banks. Yes, it actually happened because people believed their money was going to be safe there. It was...


  • Mutual Funds are Dead
    [Investing:Mutual-Funds] You may have wondered why your mutual funds have been going down for the past 2 years. The answer is very simple, but not one you will hear from Wall Street as they want you to send money...


  • This Market Is Different
    [Investing:Stocks] All of the talking heads have been telling us that this market is different. You are going to have to be patient and soon (hopefully in your lifetime) the DOW and the Nasdaq will be back at their old highs. They cite all the statistics about how the economy is improving - consumers are spending, the consumer confidence index looks OK, unemployment is getting better, blah, blah, blah...


  • Municipal Bonds
    [Investing:Stocks] Because there are so many stocks that are NOT paying dividends and also going down people are looking for a safe investment that will pay a decent return and also won't lose money. Slowly folks are beginning to think about bonds of which there are all kinds...


  • Patterns
    [Investing:Stocks] The Law of Chaos is the theory of random unpredictable action applied to the cosmos, mathematics, mechanics, almost everything. Those who believe it will definitely think the stock market is in chaotic state at this time. Don't you believe it...


  • The Cub; II
    [Investing:Stocks] We keep hearing about this bear market and that the bottom is "in" or "very close" so we should be invested in these bargain basement prices to take advantage of the next bull so we won't lose out on the expected huge profits.


  • Overvalued & Underbought
    [Investing:Stocks] With all the bad news that has been dumped upon the economy for some reason the stock market is going up. Why?


  • Stock Insurance
    [Investing:Stocks] You have a lock on your house. You have a lock on your car. You have a lock on your tool shed. Do you have a lock to protect your stock market investments?


  • Nest Eggs and Omelets
    [Investing:Stocks] Do you have a nest egg? You know, a place you are stashing away money for the future - retirement, down payment on a house, the kids education. That kind of thing. How're you doing?


  • Shadow Bull
    [Investing:Stocks] As one of my regular readers you know I have been a stock market bear for the past 2 years and have encouraged everyone to put their money into a money market account or a short-term no-load bond fund and for the more adventurous what is called a bear mutual fund that goes up when the market goes down. Just being in cash as outlined in my book would have saved 40% or more of your money...


  • Lemmings Are Gathering
    [Investing:Stocks] Before they go over the cliff to their destruction these little furry ones get together for a party and celebration. Each tells the other how smart he has been with his investments and buying and selling of stocks and real estate. Wait a minute...


  • Price Targets
    [Investing:Stocks] Every day in any financial publication you will find the Wall Street mavens giving their predictions on many stocks. It was issued here and should go there. It is now undervalued and is worth that much more. Really? Has anyone gone...


  • Trading vs Investing
    [Investing:Stocks] I often hear from people, “I don’t trade. I invest. I buy a mutual fund and I hold it”. Mr. Investor, did you know you are trading on a regular basis? Are you aware that mutual fund managers are changing their positions by selling certain stocks and buying others? Mutual funds must report quarterly what stocks they are holding. You can get those...


  • Hedge Fund Advertising
    [Investing:Stocks] Have you seen all those big full page ads for hedge funds in the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, Investors Business Daily? You haven’t. Maybe they are being drowned out by the regular mutual funds who continually tell you how great they are...


  • Take The Time
    [Investing:Stocks] You must take the time once a month to review your investment portfolio. It won't take long - less than one hour, maybe 15 minutes...


  • The Club
    [Investing:Stocks] Yesterday I received my monthly issue of MONEY magazine. This issue has the special feature called “The Ultimate Investment Club” that highlights their picks for the top mutual fund managers. Let’s see how their members made money for their shareholders...


  • VIX
    [Investing:Stocks] No, this is not a symbol for some Latin number. The Wall Street mavens talk about this market timing device as if they knew how to use it to determine which way the stock market is going – up or down. It is pretty obvious that brokers, analysts and financial planners have not learned the language...


  • What To Buy?
    [Investing:Stocks] Now that you have some money burning a hole in your pocket and the stock market is going up you have decided to buy some stock or maybe a mutual fund, but you have the momentous decisions to what to buy.


  • Where Is The Beef?
    [Investing:Stocks] Where is the beef? Or maybe it should be where is the bull? Market, that is? The chief investment strategists and analysts of the major brokerage houses have been promising us a new bull market. So far the bull hasn't come in from the distant pasture...


  • Who Knows?
    [Investing:Stocks] The Shadow knows. Remember him? It seems a shadow has a firm grip on this stock market. Since the terrible break in mid-April we had a rally and then a decline. Trying to choose a suitable stock or mutual fund has been like grasping at shadows...


  • Why Change Funds?
    [Investing:Stocks] On November 17 I bought 7 different mutual funds and went to a 100% invested position. One of the funds I bought was Robertson Stevens Information Age (RSIFX) and it has made money as have the other six...


  • Your Job
    [Investing:Stocks] There are so many kinds of work that needs to be done and you are doing one of those jobs right now – unless you are one of those two and a half million that have been laid off during the past 3 years. The press continues to blame China and India for stealing away all these forms of employment, but they don’t have it right...


  • The 10 Commandments
    [Investing:Stocks] Wall Street has been preaching for years and years to investors how and where to put their money. The “experts” have put forth these ideas for so long that they seem to be carved in stone just like Moses did with God’s 10 Commandments. The only difference is that what Wall Street preaches is lies that will make you broke...


  • Time Out: Retirement Planning
    [Home-and-Family:Retirement] Are you paying any attention to your retirement savings? Do you have it in cash or an account with a broker? Maybe you have a professional manager who is investing your money as you add to it every month...


  • When?
    [Investing:Stocks] When will the stock market stop going down and start up again? If we knew that we’d all be jillionaires. So what do you do now while stocks are going down and stealing away your money every day?


  • Where Is The Rabbit?
    [Investing:Stocks] We need a rabbit! This was a pretty horrible week for the market with two 100-point days and Friday closing on the lows...


  • Who's Calling?
    [Investing:Stocks] Its dinnertime and the phone rings. It's Joe Noname with SuchNSuch Investment Company and has he got a deal for you...


  • Workers
    [News-and-Society:Politics] We have read about the unemployment rate being high. Really anything around six percent is pretty good and it is less than that now according to the statistics, but some politicians say it is terrible and others say it is reasonable. It depends upon which side of the isle you sit...


  • Pension Plans
    [Investing:Stocks] If you have a pension plan at work you will want to read this and if you don’t you will still want to because it affects your retirement account...


  • The 1% Solution
    [Investing:Stocks] You probably know the story of Sherlock Holmes and the 7% solution. He had a drug addiction. He needed the drug. He was able to control his addiction by taking the drug in a 7% concentration. Anyone with common sense knows you cannot survive on 7%. It is a slow death...


  • Trading For A Living
    [Investing:Stocks] How many times have you said to yourself, “I’d like to quit this job and just make a living trading in the stock market”? Well, maybe you can, BUT...


  • When Should I Sell?
    [Investing:Stocks] People are always asking me when should I sell my stock or mutual funds? There are some relatively easy answers to this. In fact, so simple that you won't believe them, but they are things I have learned over the past 30 years as a professional trader on the floor of the commodity exchange in Chicago. These ideas apply equally well to stocks and mutual funds and to just about any kind of investment.


  • Whitewater Stock Market
    [Investing:Stocks] Ever done any whitewater rafting or canoeing? Long periods of tranquil river followed by short periods of terror. Suddenly the water grips your vessel and you are pushed and shoved by massive currents over which you have no control. Missing boulders you paddle as hard as you can. You almost lose everything and think to yourself, “Why didn’t I portage that last rapid?”


  • Why Buy and Hold?
    [Investing:Stocks] Since I can remember, and that’s a long time ago, the Wall Street brokerage companies, mavens and mutual fund managers have been exhorting the mantra of Buy and Hold for all your investments. There have been erudite studies published that this is the only way to go...


  • You Won't Like This
    [Investing:Stocks] Why? Because I am going to shatter your conventional wisdom as I have many times in previous columns about the lies that Wall Street continues to tell you. This time we are going to go deeper into the economy to unearth the truth about lies the politicians are telling you...


  • Zero Sum Game
    [Investing:Stocks] Most people think the stock market is a zero sum game because there is a buyer for each seller and seller for each buyer so each cancels the other and everything is equal. Not quite...


  • Mutual Fund Expense Lies
    [Investing:Mutual-Funds] You can't rely on everything you read in the prospectus.


  • The Shadow
    [Investing:Stocks] The Shadow knows. There used to be a radio program called The Shadow where the hero, Lamont Cranston, the Shadow, would overcome the shadowy forces of doom by clouding the vision of those around him....


  • Cash Is A Position
    [Investing:Stocks] I go to the Money Show every year to visit with friends who have booths and are speakers. Then when folks are filing out of lectures I listen to their comments on what I know the speaker has been saying.


  • Roller Coaster
    [Investing:Stocks] I love roller coasters. The steeper the better. High and fast and curvy. Yahoo! Let’s go again. But to get to the drop off point you have a slow grind up.


  • Mr. Market
    [Investing:Stocks] I constantly hear the talking heads on CNBC-TV, the radio and other places talking about THE market. Of course, they mean the stock market which actually now is world wide and no longer just concentrated in New York. To every New Yorker New York is the center of the world from which radiates all knowledge and everything else worthwhile.


  • I Love To Lose Money
    [Investing:Stocks] Well, not really. What I mean is I don’t mind losing a small amount when I have to sell a stock or mutual fund that is going down or taking away the profit I have made. During this past 3 years I have made money each year because I was not afraid to sell. The great secret that Wall Street does not want investors to know is all about selling, not buying.


  • Pathways
    [Investing:Stocks] During our travel down life’s path we come to many places where the trail divides and we must make a decision. Some involve psychological (emotional) choices – marriage, divorce, leaving home, career changes, etc. Others are monetary – buying a new car, home, starting your own business, investing, etc. Many are interwoven having aspects of both psychological and monetary.


  • Never Lose Money
    [Investing:Stocks] Never lose money in the stock market again. Yeah, I know. Don’t buy any stock, but that is not what I meant. There is a clear and easy way to protect your capital – what you have now and what you might decide to buy in the future. And don’t count on your broker to tell you this.


  • Humpty Dumpty the Stock Market Falls Down
    [Investing:Stocks] Humpty Dumpty had a great fall and all the King’s horsemen could not put Humpty Dumpty back together again.


  • Selection Vs Direction
    [Investing:Stocks] As I have said many times before in this column it really doesn’t make any difference what you buy – stocks, funds or indexes - it takes smarts to know when to sell. Direction of the general market is more important than selection of any equity.


  • War Market
    [Investing:Stocks] There is no question that the stock market is being affected by war jitters. When it looks like peace we have a strong rally. When it looks like shooting will begin momentarily the market takes a dump. What should you do with your stock, mutual funds or cash that is waiting to find a home?


  • Look Out The Window
    [Investing:Stocks] Quick, look out the window. It’s raining. No, the sun’s out. No, it’s cloudy. Wait a second, it is changing again, but I can’t tell what it is going to do.


  • Financial Crime
    [Investing:Stocks] Congress recently passed another new law that is supposed to outlaw financial crime. Corporate officers will be sent to jail for “cooking the books” as it is called. Among other things it is taking the stockholders money and paying themselves huge bonuses for nonperformance. These guys are even worse than mutual fund managers who do the same thing – get paid big salaries yet continue to lose your money.


  • VooDoo Training For the Stock Market
    [Investing:Stocks] If you go to Haiti or other places in the Caribbean you may run into the Voodoo tradition of magic. There are long and mostly noisy rituals with the medicine man spouting words that bring great power and conjure up whatever it is the supplicant desires. Great amounts of smoke and mirrors.


  • Selling
    [Investing:Stocks] The stock market has been going up for more than 7 months and many investors who held on through the big crash of 2000 are seeing their portfolios get back some of what had disappeared. Is now the time to sell those equities that are ‘even’ with what you paid for them? No.


  • Which Way The Market
    [Investing:Stocks] I am hearing predictions by brokers, financial planners, talk show hosts and the talking heads on TV that the market is going back to its old highs - DOW 11,700 and NASDAQ 5000 here we come.


  • The Big Bad Bear
    [Investing:Stocks] The big bad bear is stirring again. So far he has stretched, yawned and peaked out of his cave. After his almost year-long nap he is hungry. A nice big steak would hit the spot.


  • Performance Funds
    [Investing:Stocks] Mutual funds are doing more and more to discourage investors from leaving them and taking their money to a better performing fund. What does better performing mean? It has nothing to do with who the manager is, what the expense ratio is or how well they performed over the past 5 or 10 years.


  • What Are You Waiting For?
    [Investing:Stocks] Do you own any mutual funds? In an IRA or 401K or wherever. Privately or at work.


  • Stuff
    [Investing:Stocks] I continually hear from economists, talking heads, other market letter writers, analysts and assorted “experts” that I need to know all kinds of “stuff” about the stocks and mutual funds I am going to buy and I should keep up with them on a regular basis.


  • Protectionism
    [Investing:Stocks] First let’s see what protectionism is. According to Mr. Webster it is the advocacy, system, or theory of protecting domestic producers by impeding or limiting, as by tariffs or quotas, the importation of foreign goods and services.


  • Expense Ratios
    [Investing:Stocks] Mutual funds and brokers are always preaching not to buy any fund with a high expense ratio. That is the annual costs of the fund to pay for trading of stocks within their portfolio, salaries, rent, telephone, analysts, etc. Most of them tell you not to buy one that exceeds 1.5%. There is also another expense added by some mutual funds called a 12b1 (usually from ¼% to 1%) that is supposed to be used for promotional purposes only. These numbers may appear small, but they are being applied to multi-millions, sometimes billions of dollars.


  • Successful Trading: Trading Systems
    [Investing:Stocks] To become a successful trader you must have some kind of method or system to follow that will keep you on track. You may be buying and selling on tips, the weather or phases of the moon (there is a system like that).


  • Paddle Your Canoe
    [Investing:Stocks] At some time in your life you have been on a river in a canoe and hopefully you had a paddle. You know about being up the creek without one.


  • Complacency Indicator
    [Investing:Stocks] If you haven’t heard of the technical indicator with the stock market symbol VIX it is now time to pay some attention to it. When the number is running low, as it is now, around 15 to 18 it means everyone is happy and thinks the stock market is going to continue up or at least continue on its current path and there is no need to sell anything. This is a measure of complacency. When the number goes above 35 it means everyone is very nervous and thinks the market is going to fall. It is considered a contrarian indicator.


  • Perfect Storm
    [Investing:Stocks] Having lived aboard a sailboat for 2 years I was stricken when I saw the movie “PERFECT STORM”. I know these are things you want to avoid at all costs. Even little storms can play havoc with your life style on a boat.


  • Inertia Syndrome
    [Investing:Stocks] When it comes to buying a stock or mutual fund most people act pretty quickly. There are some who will take the time to get a report from Morningstar (it is worthless) or get reports from their broker (also worthless) or even do a search on the Internet (if you know what you are doing). When your broker says “buy” you buy and when a friend gives you a “tip” you buy.


  • Valuation
    [Investing:Stocks] Every day I hear from the “experts” on CNBC-TV and the radio gurus that the way to buy stocks is find value. One man’s Rembrandt is another man’s connect-the-dots and fill in the spaces. Valuation is like beauty. It is in the mind of the beholder.


  • Low Expense Ratio
    [Investing:Stocks] One of the big advertising kicks today from mutual funds is to tell how low their expense ratio is and that you will make a great deal more money if you buy and hold with them. Partly true, but that is not the whole story.


  • NASDAQ 800?
    [Investing:Stocks] In November of 2000 when the NASDAQ was trading at 3000 I wrote in this column that the NASDAQ Index would fall to 1500 and I got lots of heat for saying it. Microsoft had fallen from $129 to $60 per share. You know where they are today.


  • Stock Analysis
    [Investing:Stocks] I receive emails from Morningstar. This company provides statistics and analysis of just about every publicly traded stock company you can think of as well as voluminous information on mutual funds around the world.


  • Fake Money
    [Investing:Stocks] Reach in your pocket and take out that big roll of bills. Depending on how many of them you have you feel pretty good. BUT did you know they are not worth the paper they are printed on? Huh? Let me explain.


  • Fool's Gold
    [Investing:Stocks] The stock market has been in an up trend for more than a year. Almost everyone is feeling good and many believe we are back in the old bull market with the previous high of the Dow Jones Industrial Average just about to be broken.


  • My Stock - Right or Wrong
    [Investing:Stocks] We all know the expression, “My country, right or wrong”, but have you ever thought about the stocks or mutual fund you own and said to yourself, “My stock - right or wrong” and held on to your position even as you saw your hard-earned money disappearing?


  • It's Snowing
    [Investing:Stocks] The Winter Games for the Olympics are coming up soon and many will want to go to see the giant slalom event. That's the one where the skier starts off from the little hut at the top of a long slope, picks up speed and makes his way around poles on the way down. Each turn about a pole is precarious and some fall on the way down and are wiped out.


  • Inertia
    [Investing:Stocks] One of the basic laws of physics is that a body in motion will remain in motion unless disturbed by another force. What has this to do with the stock market?


  • How To Be A Winner
    [Investing:Stocks] Everyone who invests in the stock market wants to be a winner. Each person's definition of a winner will be somewhat different, but there is hardly one who isn't looking for that stock that will double in price within one year.


  • Low Tide
    [Investing:Stocks] When you stand on the ocean shore and watch the waves breaking you might become aware that the tide is coming in or going out. It is a slow process to watch the water retreat and when it finally gets to its lowest point it is almost impossible to tell if it has stopped or will retreat further. Plenty of wave action, but going nowhere.


  • Complacency
    [Investing:Stocks] During the month of January the Dow Jones Industrial Average, usually referred to as the DOW, had an almost 1,000 point range, most of it down and the average investor has yawned and said 'so what, this has happened many times before'.


  • What To Buy Now
    [Investing:Stocks] I am sure that if you have a brokerage account with a "full service" broker you have been getting calls about what to buy and sell. If you have big losses in certain stocks you might be hit with that great Wall Street lie to buy more so you can 'Dollar Cost Average'. It doesn't work.


  • Stealth Bull
    [Investing:Stocks] If you have been watching the stock market at all you are probably very confused. You are not alone. One day is a hundred points up for the DOW and the next a hundred down. What is going on? There are many stocks that are going up and unless you are in the right ones you will be left behind.


  • The Surgeon General
    [Investing:Stocks] The Surgeon General of the United States says that smoking cigarettes is harmful to your health. It is printed on every pack of smokes you buy. When was the last time a smoker read or paid any attention to it?


  • Finding A Good Stock
    [Investing:Stocks] One of the things people are always asking me is how can I find a good stock. The answer I give does not please them. I say, "You are not qualified to pick stock. You don't know how so don't try. Put your money in a no-load mutual fund that is going up".


  • Prosperity, Create It For Yourself
    [Investing:Stocks] It has fallen upon the consumer to make our economy strong. All the politicians, economists and talking heads on TV are telling him (that's you and me) to get out there and spend your money. Buy that new car, build a new house and fly off to some remote place for an expensive vacation.


  • The Next Bull Market
    [Investing:Stocks] We are already in it, but you can't see it. It doesn't look like the one we had in '99. Like the magician who has you watching what he wants you to and with the other hand he is doing something else that is what is happening in the stock market today. The magician is the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Nasdaq or the S&P500 Index. These have John Q. Public mesmerized.


  • My Neighbor Got A New Car
    [Investing:Stocks] Debt is so easy for something you don't need.


  • Frog In The Pot
    [Investing:Stocks] Why most investors are not much smarter than frogs - and the consequences.


  • The Information Age
    [Investing:Stocks] It is wonderful to be alive in the information age. We know in a matter of seconds the change in the value of gold in Switzerland, the death of a world leader or the birth of a peasant in Israel. We are inundated with facts and figures and the emotional tribulations of both famous and infamous people. Can we possibly assimilate all this? Does it help us in our daily lives?


  • Choosing A Fund
    [Investing:Stocks] For years I have been saying you must have a fund that is outperforming the S&P500 Index. Well, I've changed my mind. Now I think your fund should be outperforming the NASDAQ Composite Index. So far this year, March 30, the S&P is up 1.3% and the NASDAQ Composite is up 9.5 %.


  • Stops Make Money
    [Investing:Stocks] During the day I watch CNBC-TV, the stock market channel. Fortunately, I keep the sound muted or I would be hollering at the dumb "experts" being interviewed. The experts seem to know all about the market except they don't know how to protect their capital.


  • Political Investing
    [Investing:Stocks] We have two candidates for president that have really different ideas on how to make the economy grow. Bush believes in the entrepreneurial approach. People should be allowed to invest in themselves. He even wants to let people have some of the 15% that now goes to the Social Security "trust fund". Folks, there ain't no such thing. All the money the government takes out of your paycheck goes into the general fund and the pols spend it as they choose for "your best interest" provided it coincides with theirs. Am I being too cynical?


  • Trapeze Artist - Swinging with the Stock Market
    [Investing:Stocks] When we go to the circus we see a trapeze artist working on a high wire or swing either alone or with other athletes. They know what they are doing because of constant practice, but every once in a while there can be a mistake, even a small one that can cause one of them to fall. The result is death or serious injury when they hit the ground


  • How To Pick A Mutual Fund
    [Investing:Mutual-Funds] Mutual funds by definition are a mixed bag of stocks, bonds and a little cash. Their price per share is the NAV, Net Asset Value of the total amount of money in the mutual fund divided by the number of shares. They seek to be fully invested at all times.


  • Top 25 Growth Funds
    [Investing:Stocks] On Monday, November 25, 2000 Investor's Business Daily listed on page B1 the Top 25 Growth Mutual Funds for the last 36 months along with their performance for the year 2000 to date. Only four showed a profit this year of 21% and the other three had increases of 12%, 5%, and 5%. Fifteen had loss of from 10% to 28% and the other 6 were down slightly.


  • One Way Street
    [Investing:Stocks] 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?


  • Protect Your 401K
    [Investing:IRA-401k] Checked your 401K lately? Going back to about a year ago many of these retirement accounts have shrunk by 30%, some even more. What Happened?


  • Risk Control
    [Investing:Stocks] Everything you invest in has risk so you want to do your research before you put your money on the line.


  • Social Insecurity
    [Investing:Stocks] Just about everything you have been told about Social Security is an obfuscation. That is a big word for convoluted truth or lie.


  • Rebalance And Diversify
    [Investing:Stocks] The stock market has not been very kind to your investments lately. Your broker knows this so you may have received a call from him suggesting it is time to 'rebalance and diversify' your portfolio. What does this really mean?


  • How To Buy And Hold
    [Investing:Stocks] One of the most believed bits of conventional wisdom from Wall Street is to Buy and Hold. Any stock or mutual fund should be put away for eternity and never sold. This is total hogwash and is guaranteed to reduce your investment income.


  • Kick The Tires
    [Investing:Stocks] Before you buy another car you walk around the lot, kick the tires, slam the doors and look at the mileage indicator. That's an odometer. I know. That is about all the "research" you can do other than what the car salesman tells you and I hope you know better than to believe him.


  • Why This Bear?
    [Investing:Stocks] People are constantly asking me why is the stock market going down. What is causing this bear market? It is relatively simple so don't ask an economist. He will give you a 200-page answer that is undecipherable. Can you understand Mr. Greenspan?


  • Peer Groups
    [Investing:Stocks] Whenever I see mutual fund comparisons in the trade publications and in the financial section of the newspaper they almost always mention a specific fund and tell you how good it is in relation to its peer group. A peer group is a specialized sector of mutual funds that all invest in about the same type of stocks or areas of the world or size of companies or some such categorization. Does this help you make money?


  • When It's Too Late to Save for Retirement
    [Home-and-Family:Retirement] Short term solutions to a long term problem.


  • Trend Following
    [Investing] The easiest and safest way to make consistent profits in the stock market.


  • Easily Finding A Good Stock
    [Investing] Forget research. Easily find winners that the "big boys" are buying.


  • Mousetrap
    [Investing:Stocks] The spring-loaded rat catcher is the ultimate low-tech device invented more than 100 years ago and remains the best demouser in the world. It is so simple anyone can master it and best of all you can keep on using it year in and year out. It always works.


  • Mindset
    [Investing:Stocks] In 1960 an engineer working for a watch company in Switzerland discovered that a small crystal would vibrate at a constant rate. He found this was so accurate that it could be used to calibrate time so he took it to company management and said it would make an entirely new kind of watch that had no springs and no gears. They could not imagine who would want such a thing. Swiss watches dominated world commerce. “Why change?”, they said. The bosses did not even bother to patent it.


  • Market Success
    [Investing:Stocks] Who are the successful investors? There are those who follow the advice of their brokers and financial planners or those who choose to use their own good judgment? If you care to compare the results of the past 4 years from 2000 to now I believe you will see who as done the best job.


  • More Window Dressing
    [Investing:Stocks] Two weeks ago I wrote about what the Securities and Exchange Commission was doing to regulate the mutual fund industry to help the small investor, the “poor folks”. It really added up to zero. Now the SEC is going to make new regulations for hedge funds to protect the rich folks. And it is more window dressing. In fact, it looks downright stupid. When I say rich folks it is because in order to qualify to invest in a hedge fund you must have assets of one million dollars and income of $200,000 per year for a single person and $300,000 for a couple.


  • Market Timing?
    [Investing:Stocks] The recent criminal fiasco in the mutual fund industry is being used by Wall Street to persuade investors that market timing is a bad thing. The late trading by Janus, Bank America and several other well known mutual funds is falsely being called market timing.


  • Market Psychology
    [Investing:Stocks] Today we are inundated with tons of information about the economy, stocks, government agencies and foreign governments. They show us charts and graphs of the increase/decrease in oil production over the last 5 years, the amount of maple syrup produced in Vermont for the past century, the time it takes to bounce a signal off the moon and all kinds of other nonsense that we can live without. The talking heads on the investment programs, both radio and TV, tell us how this is going to affect the price of certain stocks and the market in general. Well, maybe.


  • Moving Averages
    [Investing:Stocks] Every day on CNBC-TV they show a 200-day moving average line superimposed on the stock price history. It seems they give great credence to this manufactured line as it represents 10 months of price action. What is it? Does it really mean anything?


  • Momentum
    [Investing:Stocks] Momentum - the only easy way I know to make consistent profits in the market and I was a floor trader for 17 years.


  • Market Timing
    [Investing:Stocks] Every broker and financial planner will tell you that you cannot time the stock market. I saw John Bogle, the great seer of Vanguard, on CNBC saying it can’t be done. Of course, it is easy to understand why he and every other mutual fund manager would say that as they would have a problem managing huge inflows and outflows of money and he was buying and holding during the 18-year bull from 1982 to 2000.


  • Market Globalization
    [Investing:Stocks] Just 30 years ago the stock market was a shadow of what it is today. There were many fewer shareholders and the daily volume was a fraction of what it is at present. No one thought you would every be able to trade a billion or more shares in one day. Of course that was in the old days when they had tickers and the word digital was something you did with your fingers.


  • It's Better
    [Investing:Stocks] Question: How does it get better when it gets worse? Last week we had a jobs report from Washington that there were fewer jobs created than they had anticipated, but the stock market took that as good news and the DOW had a strong rally. WOW! The bad news somehow turned into good news because the unemployment rate dropped one tenth of one percent.


  • It's A Duck
    [Investing:Stocks] If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck it must be a duck. In the stock market if there are more buyers than sellers, more stocks are going up than down and the trend of the general market is higher it must be a bull.


  • Is Your Garage Full Of Junk?
    [Investing:Stocks] I have a 2-car garage. There are nice shelves on one side and a good practical workbench with a vice on the other side. Plenty of room for 2 cars yet I have to be careful when I pull in so I won't run over stuff stacked on each side. Sound familiar?


  • Intervention
    [Investing:Stocks] Intervention. Now don't let that big word scare you. The talking heads on TV have been discussing it all week because the major banks of the world are going to "prop up" the Euro.


  • It's A Bull, It's A Bear, It's Suptertrader!
    [Investing:Stocks] The higher the market goes the more confusing are the "experts". In the September 14 issue of Investor's Business Daily newspaper we find the great prognosticators such as:


  • Stock Market Insanity
    [Investing:Stocks] Let’s first define insanity. It is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. And that is what most investors do and they can’t understand why they are not able to make money in the stock market.


  • It Can't Be Done
    [Investing:Stocks] Wouldn’t it be nice if you were only in the stock market when it was going up and have everything transferred to cash while it is going down? It is called ‘market timing’ and your broker or financial planner will tell you “it can’t be done”. What that person just told you is he doesn’t know how to do it. He doesn’t know his job.


  • Investment Clubs
    [Investing:Stocks] Because you don't feel too sure about which stock or mutual fund to buy you decide to become a member of an investment club. Each of the members contribute a certain amount of money each month and then meet to decide what to buy or sell.


  • Inverted Interest Rates
    [Investing:Stocks] Inverted interest rates? What’s that? Who cares? Even if you don’t understand what Mr. Greenspan is saying (and almost nobody does) it is important to you because it could mean you might lose you job next year or have to cut back on some of the things you want to acquire.


  • Keep Your Profits
    [Investing:Stocks] It looks like we have now entered a new bull phase in the stock market and I have a question for you. Will you give back the profits that you make this time as you did in 2000? You sure don’t want to, but you are not going to get any help from your broker.


  • Eternal Sunshine
    [Investing:Stocks] There is a current movie entitled “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”. It is about a man who has had a painful love affair and will do anything to rid his mind of those pain thoughts of a former love. He sees an advertisement that offers just such a service. It seems his former lover has the exact thoughts and she goes through the same treatment. Guess what? They meet again, do not recognize each other, and fall in love again.


  • Emotional Trading
    [Investing:Stocks] 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.


  • The Elephant
    [Investing:Stocks] Four blind men were asked to give a description of an elephant. They had not seen one or ever encountered such a beast. One grabbed hold of its tail. Another put his arms around a leg. The third gripped its trunk and the fourth walked into the side. The description given by each one was correct and accurate except it did not describe the elephant's true form. Each man was right and each man was wrong.


  • Evaluation II
    [Investing:Stocks] As I said in Part I everyone in the insane asylum looks normal, but at least the doctors are sane. Unfortunately, in the insane asylum known as the stock market all the doctors (brokers) are also insane.


  • Enronization
    [Investing:Stocks] Even if you don't own any of their stock or any stock at all you will want to read this. What Enron corporate officers did with their accounting firm is nothing new. It has been going on for years, but recently has become more egregious. Hiding facts from stockholders by showing Annual Reports with tiny footnotes has been happening for years. Even experienced accountants have trouble understanding what various financial statements mean. What chance does the little investor have? And that is the whole idea. The insiders don't want the outsiders to know what they are doing with the company money.


  • Emotional Maturity
    [Investing:Stocks] 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.


  • Economists #2
    [Investing:Stocks] Economists know more about how the fragments of society work than anyone. In school they are taught to break down the economy into its tiniest parts and to quantify each minutiae so it can become part of a formula. Once done those econometric formulas should become a viable equation to predict how the total economy will react when a change occurs to any part of the formula.


  • Evaluation I
    [Investing:Stocks] An insane person cannot evaluate an insane evaluation system. As you know I have been trying to restore sanity to the insane premises Wall Street has been teaching its brokers and you for all these years. Their insanity has become so pervasive that it has become conventional wisdom. The brokerage houses have taught everyone to act insanely and to think that what they are doing is sane.


  • Enron Cure
    [Investing:Stocks] Let's hope you did not have any of the Enron stock. Maybe you know someone who did and lost everything, but you certainly might know several people who owned stock that lost almost everything. They probably aren't talking about it.


  • Emotional Involvement
    [Investing:Stocks] 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.


  • Economists
    [Investing:Stocks] In today's volatile and confusing stock markets everyone is searching for a guru who knows which way the market is going and when. Ask any economist and he will have an answer. Ask 2 economists and you will have 2 answers. Ask 3 economists - ad infinitum.


  • How Much Information Do You Need?
    [Investing:Stocks] You have decided to buy some stock or mutual funds, but wonder which one to buy. You need more information so you call your broker for advice. A so-called “full service” broker will bury you with all kinds of reports, analysis sheets and other pretty pieces of paper, but will probably try to sell you something that makes him the most commission.


  • Hold 'Em and Fold 'Em
    [Investing:Stocks] When most analysts, financial planners, fund specialists and investors try to decide whether to buy a particular stock they immediately go to the financial statements to determine the growth potential of the company. Numbers and more numbers. Then management analysis and industry speculation. Unless you are an experienced financial analyst (and there are not very many good ones) the numbers in the reported statements can be very misleading - just as the company Controller wants them to be.


  • Gurgle Gurgle
    [Investing:Stocks] Caught in a whirlpool and being sucked under. No life vest or other device to save you. Gurgle, gurgle. Down you go. This last couple of weeks in the stock market kinda feels like that whirlpool when you look at your financial statements.


  • The Golden Goose is Sick
    [Investing:Stocks] It is finally catching up with them. The brokerage companies I mean. For years they have been feeding bad food to their flock and now the flock is rebelling. The customer has been low man on the totem pole for too long. That food has been the disinformation that has caused customers to lose large sums of money.


  • Hill of Hope
    [Investing:Stocks] Just about now everyone is confused as to which way the stock market is going to go - up or down. For the past 3 years it has been headed south, but the Wall Street experts have told us that the market never goes down 4 years in a row so this has to be an up year. But no guarantees.


  • The Great Stock Market Secret
    [Investing:Stocks] When the stock market is going up and all your stocks and mutual funds are making money you feel like a genius. It is too bad that some folks don't remember what happened in 2000. Of course, right now we are in one of those genius phases.


  • Gold Fever
    [Investing:Stocks] Those who understand the cycle of fear, yes, that is what it is, do manage to control their emotions and do very well. At first the logical, thinking people realize that everything is in place for a long term bull market so they mine (buy) early. As they continue to become richer and richer others see their success and start staking claims. Even these later comers do well as the hoard descends upon the gold fields and the early birds are happy to accommodate them by selling them part or all of their claims (stocks and bullion).


  • Hedge Funds
    [Investing:Stocks] You read and hear a lot about hedge funds. Unfortunately, most of what you hear is negative because it comes from the major media that has an interest in reporting negatives about them because the major media is supported by so-called standard mutual funds and brokerage companies that spend big bucks for advertising. Hedge funds are NOT allowed to advertise.


  • Good News?
    [Investing:Stocks] As the man said, "I've got some good news and I've got some bad news. What do you want to hear first?" It was replied, "Tell me the good news first". The good news is that they are going to make some changes in the mutual fund industry reporting to help the investor and the bad news is it isn't going to make any difference in your bottom line.


  • Getting Even
    [Investing:Stocks] I know there are a lot of you out there who would like to "get even" with the stock market. Many are on the diet of "I hope, I hope". As a professional trader I can tell you that diet will make you very sick.


  • Duct Tape
    [Investing:Stocks] Did you run out to buy that duct tape yet? Don't forget the plastic sheeting, bottles of water, canned food and a couple of books to read. What are you waiting for? I know - things to get better so you can resume your normal life style.


  • Duck
    [Investing:Stocks] Duck! No I don't mean a quack, quack. I meant get down, look out for a huge blob of brown stuff is heading your way. This one is so large it is going to make Enron and Worldcom look like Boy Scouts stealing cookies at a picnic. As a result of these latest revelations we are going to have to find someone new to blame. So far the blame ...


  • Downdraft
    [Investing:Stocks] For the year 2000 we have seen hundreds of mutual funds lose 40%, 50% and more of their value. This does not seem right since the fund is supposed to be managed by a professional. How can this "professional" do such a bad job? More than half of the funds this year will not out perform the S&P500 index which closed down about 10%. What is going on?


  • Don't Fight The Fed
    [Investing:Stocks] One of the great truisms of Wall Street is "Don't fight the Fed". For the long term investors this has resulted in greater profits. When the Federal Reserve Board hikes interest rates look out and when the do it 3 times in a row it is called "3 jumps and a stumble". We have just gone through the stumble and it has been costly.


  • Don't Ask Your Broker
    [Investing:Stocks] Unfortunately, most of you who are reading my column are suffering some substantial losses in the stock market. Whether it is mutual funds or individual stocks everything with mighty few exceptions is going down. Maybe you are just giving back some nice profits, but maybe it is beginning to bite into your original principal.


  • Dollar Cost Averaging
    [Investing:Stocks] Dollar cost averaging is one of the most popular ideas in the investment community. Everyone seems to like it and it has become a watchword among stock and mutual fund brokers. If it is properly done you will make money, if not you will lose money or at best stay even. Let's examine the basic premise behind this method of investing.


  • Does Japan Matter?
    [Investing:Stocks] For the last 12 years we have seen the Japanese stock market slowly sinking from a high of 38,000 to about 8,000, more than a 75% loss and very close to the price of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Why should we care about their stock market?


  • Diversification
    [Investing:Stocks] Wall Street's watchword has always been diversification, but what does it mean and why do they say it?


  • Dispelling Illusions of the Stock Market
    [Investing:Stocks] How can you dispel an illusion unless you look directly at it? The magician distracts the eye with one hand while he does his manipulation with the other. You are looking in the wrong place and not seeing what is actually happening.


  • Investment Discipline
    [Investing:Stocks] One of the great "secrets" of successful people is discipline and it doesn't make any difference whether it is manufacturing, processing, servicing or investing in the stock market.


  • Direction
    [Investing:Stocks] It is difficult to make money in a bull market, but what do you do when you are in a bear market? In what direction should you go not only to make money but to protect what you have from loss?


  • Delta
    [News-and-Society:Politics] As you know Delta Airlines is close to bankruptcy. Their income is less than their outgo. They are running out of money. In order to stay in business they must either take in a lot more cash or cut expenses. In today's economy they cannot raise their fares as they will sell even fewer tickets because competition is fierce.


  • Debt
    [Finance:Debt-Relief] We all know about debt. If you don't have too much as an individual you can increase the quality of your life, but with more than you can handle it can make your life a nightmare.


  • Investment Research - The Dalbar Study
    [Investing:Stocks] Very few people, even professionals, have heard of the Dalbar Study that originated in 1995. Its purpose is to determine the profitability of trading for the small investor of mutual funds. Their results are even worse than I thought.


  • Keep Stock Market Investment Profits
    [Investing] This is not taught in training manuals.


  • Box Of Chocolates
    [Investing:Stocks] Ever have one of those sample boxes of candy? Each little piece is beautifully wrapped in colorful foil or decorated with an interesting design. Taste just one. So good! One more. And another. Before you know it the box is empty. Nothing left. This upmove in the stock market is very tempting - and could leave you with a tummy ache.


  • Bull or Bear?
    [Investing:Stocks] Cat or dog? Maybe Zebra. Shucks, I don't know, but my broker keeps telling me it is a bull and to buy this and that. It looks like he is right - for a change. I remember he said the same thing in 1999 and 2000 and I ended up losing most of my money. But it looks good right now.


  • Business Ethics
    [Business:Ethics] There is much talk today about ethics in business - as there should be, but there should be more than talk; there should be a high moral code for all executives who are responsible to both their customers and their shareholders.


  • Choosing An Investment Stock Broker
    [Investing:Stocks] If you want one. And I don't recommend any broker with whom to trade who will be giving you advice on what to buy and sell. When a broker speaks it is a eulogy for your money. My definition of a broker is one who makes you broker.


  • Buy and Hold Investment Philosophy
    [Investing:Stocks] Wall Street has been preaching the doctrine of Buy and Hold forever. The worst part about it is the small investor (and some big ones) actually believe it. Brokers and financial planners believe it, but when you show them they can get a better return by timing the market they just say, "It can't be done". They are either lazy or stupid.


  • Investment Capital Gains
    [Investing:Stocks] Have you bought any mutual funds this year or late last year while the market was doing its skyrocket thing? Last year it was hard to lose money. This year it has been easy.


  • Buying Mutual Funds
    [Investing:Mutual-Funds] It looks like the market is ready to start up again so it is time to buy mutual funds, but you only want to invest your money in funds that go up. First, you don't want to start with a loss so be sure to purchase no-load mutual funds. There is no need to ever pay commissions as there are several thousand funds that have no commission whatsoever for either buying or selling.


  • China Syndrome
    [Investing:Stocks] There has been great condemnation recently because China has been selling its goods on the world market at prices below what other countries, especially the U.S., can produce. It has been called exporting deflation.


  • Catnip of the Stock Market
    [Investing:Stocks] I have watched my cat play with a bag of catnip. At first he is having fun and slowly he becomes drunk with pleasure and then finally he becomes so tipsy he falls over to sleep it off. The pleasure part is great, but I am not sure if he awakes without a hangover. Rocket (that's his name) reminds me of a one of those people who buy a stock and hold it. At first while it is going up there is ...


  • Cash
    [Investing:Stocks] How many people went to a cash position this week? There is no question that this market has scared the bajebers out of many investors, me included. Fortunately, I started going to cash some time ago, but I did give back a substantial amount of my profit.


  • Buying New Issues
    [Investing:Stocks] Has your broker been calling you recently with the "great opportunity" to get in on a new Initial Public Offering? With friends like that you don't need any enemies. I don't care how good this new stock offering sounds. The chances it will stay even or go up are about 1 in 3 and I don't want to play those odds with my money.


  • Buy Low - Sell High
    [Investing:Stocks] Now where have I heard that before? I know. It was my broker. So I took his advice and bought some of the stocks he recommended. I am still waiting for the 'sell high' part of the equation. Everything he touted went up for a while and now it is lower than when I bought it. It is so low I can't bring myself to sell it. My capital has shrunk about 60% from where I started. That's a lot of money to me because it took a long time to save it. What happened?


  • CYA
    [Investing] Investment profits need protection just like your home and car.


  • Best Investment
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Every week I write something about the stock market - how to, when to and where to put your money and how to protect it from loss if you do. This week I want to say something very important to the young folks about success. And you parents take note if your kids are still young.


  • Bottoms Ups
    [Investing:Stocks] If you have talked to a stock broker or financial planner in the last few days I will bet they all agree that there are some great bargains out there and now is the time to start buying in anticipation that the market will go back up. You will also find agreement from the talking heads on CNBC and those talk radio station stock mavens. No one says sell. It looks like bottom pickers heaven.


  • The Bottom?
    [Investing:Stocks] Every day I hear someone on CNBC proclaim that "this is the bottom" and you should get in there and buy all those "bargains". "The valuations of the DOW stocks are a steal."


  • Boiler Room 7/17/00
    [Investing:Stocks] On Friday or Saturday evening my wife gets a movie from Block Buster and after dinner we sit, hold hands and watch. This week she brought back one that I think every investor or anyone contemplating investing in the market should see. It is called "Boiler Room". How many times have you been called out of the blue by some no-name broker who wants to make you rich provided ...


  • Is The Bear In The Cage?
    [Investing:Stocks] For the last few weeks we have seen the stock market averages going higher and higher each week yet the economic news is still very bad. Is this bear market coming to an end? Will the stock prices and mutual funds go back up to where they were?


  • Bargain Basement - Finding Stocks That Go Up
    [Investing:Stocks] Have you been listening to the talking heads on CNBC-TV? Or those talk radio stock experts? Getting all those good recommendations on what to buy now. Now?


  • Mutual Fund Ball and Chain
    [Investing:Mutual-Funds] The broker told me not to sell because the mutual fund I owned had a 2% redemption fee and they would penalize me if I did. I got to thinking about it and did some simple math to see what that would cost me if I sold. Several months ago ...


  • Bad News is Good News
    [Investing:Stocks] For weeks, no, months we have been bombarded with nothing but negative news about the economy in general and thousands of individual companies. The stock market has dropped thousands of points and more than $8 trillion in paper assets have disappeared.


  • 401K-itis
    [Investing:IRA-401k] Are you one of those many people who dread reading their 401K statements? You have been watching it decline for about 2 years and are wondering if will ever stop. Just about everyone says the market will come back. Brokers say you are in for the long haul so don't worry. Any account that drops to a 50% loss has to go up 100% to get "even" and that is a very difficult phenomenon. If you have an 80% loss as has already occurred in the Nasdaq you would need a 400% rally to get "even". At 90% you have to see a 900% rise to that mythical "even".


  • What Does it Take to be a Stock Trader?
    [Investing:Stocks] It takes a total mental commitment to the task. It becomes a complete way of life. You cannot be a part timer. You cannot work at a regular job and trade stocks successfully. When you decide to make your living this way you must be willing to work ...


  • Acapulco - The Stock Market Dives
    [Investing:Stocks] There is a famous cliff on the ocean in Acapulco where experienced divers jump into the sea. It is very dangerous because the water at the base of the cliff surges from a depth of 2 feet to 12 feet. The diver must time his leap so the water is at the greatest depth when he enters or he could easily be killed as many novices before him have been. Timing is the key.


  • Ask The SEC
    [Investing] Who is the SEC and why should I ask them anything? The Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, DC is the government bureau that regulates the securities industry. They make the regulations that all stock exchange listed companies, brokerage houses and mutual funds must follow.


  • True Investment Road Maps
    [Investing:Stocks] If you don't know where you are going any road will get there. After you get there you might not like where you ended up. You must plan ahead for your trip. Do you know where you are going with your retirement portfolio?


  • An Old Proverb for Investing
    [Investing:Stocks] "If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there." This very much applies to the your retirement plans especially if you are investing in the stock market. The proverb clearly states you need to know where you are going and how to get there.


  • Alfred E. Newman
    [Investing:Stocks] What! Me worry? Many of you remember the cover of MAD magazine. It was one of my favorites. Alfred's only worry was about his front tooth. You and I have other problems. The one big problem we all have is enough income to support our life style. Those who are approaching retirement...


  • Adding Funds
    [Investing:Stocks] Someday you may want to retire and continue to live in the life style to which you have become accustomed. According to conventional wisdom you will need less money because you will have fewer expenses than when you had to go to the office every day. Maybe. Let's hope so.


  • A Good Fund Manager
    [Investing:Stocks] Every Wall Street analyst, financial planner and broker will tell you that the right way to pick a mutual fund is find a good money manager of a fund that has a long time record.


  • Exchange Traded Funds
    [Investing] Why ETFs are superior to mutual funds.


  • Holy Grail Investments
    [Investing] Where to find those best investments.


  • Pamplona, the Wild Investment Bulls
    [Investing:Stocks] Running with the bulls can be profitable.


  • Lights of the Stock Market
    [Investing:Stocks] The most important light that will stop you from losing money in the stock market.


  • Brain Snappers and Other Wall Street Nonsense
    [Investing] How Wall Street confuses investors with big words.


  • Overbought/Oversold
    [Investing] Has your broker ever told you that a stock is “overbought” or “oversold”? He probably went on the explain that the stock you own (I hope you didn’t) had gone down so far that it now was oversold and ...


  • What My Horse Had For Breakfast
    [Investing] How to bet on mutual funds like you bet at the track. It is easier with funds.


  • Larry, Moe and Curley, Investment Brokers
    [Investing] Investment brokers discussing stock market secrets.


  • The Three Little Pigs Went to the Stock Market
    [Investing:Stocks] How to invest at the DOW and NASDAQ without being a hog.


  • Invest, Be Wrong, and Make Money in the Stock Market
    [Investing:Stocks] How to neutralize the losses with a proper won/loss ratio written by a former floor trader.


  • Just Say 'NO' to Your Stock Broker
    [Investing] There is a time to say 'no' to your broker.


  • Short Selling for Investors
    [Investing] The truth about how selling short really effects the market.


  • Maniac Investment
    [Investing] Monkey's and People Act The Same.


  • Divorce and the Stock Market
    [Relationships:Divorce] It is better to get out than hang around and lose everything.


  • Race Horses and Mutual Funds
    [Investing:Mutual-Funds] BET ON MUTUAL FUNDS LIKE YOU BET ON HORSES. For years investors have been taught to look into the composition of a mutual funds. In other words the "experts" want you to take the time to analyze the stocks within the mutual fund portfolio, categorize them by industry group and try to understand the objective of the fund manager. This is nonsense.


  • Copy Cat or How to Use a Successful Trading System
    [Investing] Can you successfully use someone else's trading method?


  • Outsourcing and the U.S. Economy
    [Business:Outsourcing] Is there anything we can do about this global trend?


  • Stock Chart Reading
    [Investing:Stocks] Charting is not an exact science, but it is important to making buying and selling decisions.


  • Analysts - Do They Really Know The Stock Market?
    [Investing:Stocks] What analysts really know and DON'T know.


  • Forecasting the Stock Market
    [Investing:Stocks] Forecasting is an art not a science. The percentage of right vs. wrong is ver small.


  • Stock and Fund Dividends
    [Investing:Stocks] Do dividends really matter? The truth about how you get a dividend and is it really a dividend?


  • Tyranosaurus Rex
    [Investing] How to prevent this monster from eating your portfolio.

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