This is not a panic post. I don’t know when the next market downturn would happen. I don’t care to know either. My investing is not based on predicting future events. As Howard Marks wrote once, "taking bold actions based on forecasts of things that are uncertain isn’t just … [Read more...] about Are you prepared for stock market winter?
InvestorBehavior
Why does the stock market mock us?
Sometimes it feels like the stock market is mocking us -- intentionally doing the unexpected. When we invest new money, the stock market promptly falls as if it's punishing us. Other times, it jumps up after we had sold some shares. If you are an investor, you will encounter this … [Read more...] about Why does the stock market mock us?
Don’t take investing advice from people you don’t know!
It was some time in 2011 if I remember correctly. I had tuned to my local NPR station at lunch time. A financial advisor couple was getting interviewed. They had just released a new book on financial planning. It was a pleasant discussion. They seemed genuine. They also appeared … [Read more...] about Don’t take investing advice from people you don’t know!
Don’t fall for steady returns
Why everyone and their grandmother don’t get rich investing in the stock market? It sounds straightforward enough to invest. All one has to do is buy an appropriate market index fund (or ETF) and hold it for ten or twenty years (the well-known buy-and-hold strategy). If you … [Read more...] about Don’t fall for steady returns
Real investors don’t fear a recession
Recessions and expansions are normal phases of a business cycle in modern free-market economies. A recession occurs when the economy stops growing – instead, it contracts. This happens from time to time – the economy grows in fits and starts. The normal state of an economy is … [Read more...] about Real investors don’t fear a recession
It’s not healthy to check stock prices every day
If you check your stock portfolio every minute the market is open, you are setting yourself up for failure. Even every day is not good for your portfolio’s health. Perhaps every week is too frequent. Two reasons why this is so: Every-day price changes are random and carry no … [Read more...] about It’s not healthy to check stock prices every day
Most investors underperform the stock market
The bad news is that we, the individual investors, collectively don’t do so well when investing in stocks. The good news is that most of this underperformance is due to our own behavior and therefore can be fixed. Let’s first look at the evidence of our underperformance over … [Read more...] about Most investors underperform the stock market
Why I stay invested in stocks?
Last week, I heard two of my friends talk about an impending market crash. One of them told me he has been doing well in the stock market since he invested in the beginning of this year. But he does not think that the market will stay at these lofty levels for too long. The other … [Read more...] about Why I stay invested in stocks?
Beware, the markets go down often!
Because we are long-term investors, we will frequently face market downturns. To better prepare ourselves for these unpleasant but inevitable declines, it is good to study the history of the stock market declines. Looking at the US stock market, on average this is what we … [Read more...] about Beware, the markets go down often!
Seeking instant wealth? Don’t!
Why so many people seek to double or triple their money in no time? First, it’s the thrill of doing it. And perhaps bragging about it to friends and family. Another reason could be that people don’t really understand the power of compounding. As we explored in an earlier post, … [Read more...] about Seeking instant wealth? Don’t!