Raymond James’ Jeffrey Saut references John Magee‘s New Year’s resolutions for investors:
Resolved, that in the coming year, that:
- I will not alienate my friends and antagonize my family by reminding the world on every possible occasion how right I was about the upturn – or downturn – in steels, motors, airlines, or whatever.
- When I buy a stock I will not mobilize all the good news to make it look pretty. I will try to consider both the favorable and unfavorable angles as impartially as I know how.
- I will not close out a stock position that is doing well by me for no other reason than that I have a profit. I will not cut short my gains in a good situation.
- I will not hang on to a stock that is persistently going against me. I will limit my loss, and close out any position that seems to have gone really bad before I am in danger of serious trouble.
- I will not be swayed or panicked by news flashes, rumors, tips, or well-meant advice.
- I will not put all my eggs in one basket, nor will I be swept off my feet to plunge into some unknown or low-priced stock on a purely emotional basis.
- I will not attempt to tell the market what a stock ought to be worth. I will try to understand what the market has to tell me about what people are willing to pay for it.
- I will never forget that I am not in the market primarily to prove – to my broker, my friends, my wife, etc. – that I am smarter than everybody else, but to protect and if possible to augment my capital.
Good advice for everyone!
And a happy, healthy, prosperous and safe New Years to you all . . .
