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.

When you step back to get a better view of the market because the trees are in the way you really get a different view. No matter what stock or mutual fund you own there is one important factor that is causing all of them to change. It is the mass thinking of all the people who own equities of any type. The stock market is a reflection of this mass thinking and causes changes in human behavior. This mass thinking does not necessarily reflect what the economy is doing at any specific moment.

Take the euphoria of stock buyers at the end of 1999 and the beginning of 2000. All the mass psychology was bullish and everyone knew the market was going to go higher. The economy knew better and stocks headed down. The market was a reflection of what we could not see.

Currently many people are becoming bearish and think the market is headed lower, but no one really knows until after the fact. It is dangerous to be either bullish or bearish at this moment. So what is the best course of action when you are not sure of what to do with your money? Keep in mind that protection of your capital, especially your retirement money, is a prime consideration. If you own a stock now that has been going up you don’t want to sell it, but you can protect yourself against loss and lock in profit by placing an Open Stop-Loss Order with your broker. Keep moving the stop up as the stock goes higher.

If you have a stock or fund that is going down you must either sell out or place an order to get out if it goes down further. Usually 10% is about right. If your stock is $40 place your stop at $36.

If the mass psychology becomes too negative it can cause massive selling and even the best equities get flushed. All boats go down when the tides goes out. If you do not have a loss limit in place at all times you will lose your investment capital. The example of this was what happened when the World Trade Center was destroyed. Selling was caused by mass psychology and had little to do with valuation.

It is a herd instinct and you don’t want to be led to slaughter will all the other dumb animals. Protect your money. Put in a stop today.

Al Thomas’ book, "If It Doesn’t Go Up, Don’t Buy It!" has helped thousands of people make money and keep their profits with his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter at http://www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why he’s the man that Wall Street does not want you to know.

Copyright 2005

al@mutualfundstrategy.com; 1-888-345-7870

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.

The inventor took his new idea to a commercial trade show, set up his booth and tried to interest manufacturers to produce his new kind of watch. Of the thousand people only 2 were willing to try it – Texas Instruments and Seiko Corp. of Japan. Ten years later the Swiss manufacture of watches had shrunk to 10% of it former production.

It took a complete change of thinking to produce this new model. Most people are rooted in the old way they have always done it and are reluctant to change. The new model, the new paradigm is refused.

Now I want you to think about another paradigm. This time a model for your investment portfolio.

Wall Street has been teaching since time began to Buy and Hold. When your stock or mutual fund heads south you are not to worry about it because “the market always comes back”. But my question is, “In your lifetime?” There are thousands of stocks that go up than go down and never recover. You might have some of those in your bank vault.

Here is the change in thinking you need to incorporate. Place a stop-loss order about 10% or 15% below the price. This is especially true when you first buy. The most important thing every professional investor does is protect his capital. You never need worry about how much you will make. Your major concern is how much can I lose if this turns in a mangy dog. After you have owned this gem and it does go up then you can replace the stop-loss order to a higher level and continue to do that until you are finally stopped out (sold out) with a nice profit when it starts down.

Your broker will not want to do this for one very simple reason. He then becomes responsible to see that the order is executed because if it isn’t he will have to make up the difference out of his pocket. He will actually have to watch your account. If he gives you a hard time then find another broker.

Customers like you are not taught this simple method of thinking about the stock market. It requires a change of thinking. There is a better way than how the big brokerage houses tell you. This paradigm will allow you to make more money because when you are sold out and have cash in your account you will be able to find a better stock or mutual fund.

Al Thomas’ book, "If It Doesn’t Go Up, Don’t Buy It!" has helped thousands of people make money and keep their profits with his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter at http://www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why he’s the man that Wall Street does not want you to know.

Copyright 2005

al@mutualfundstrategy.com; 1-888-345-7870

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.

What the heck is the "euro"? This is a currency just like the British Pound, the French Franc and the German Duetschmark, but it supercedes those currencies and is supposed to ultimately replace them as the money of all the European countries. It is another layer on top of the currency of each country. It was introduced in January 1999 and has been sinking ever since.

It was supposed to stabilize the European currencies, but all the underlying currencies have been going down in relation to the US Dollar. When the tide goes out the boat goes down. The tide is the various currencies and the boat is the Euro.

Everything must be converted to Euros. Oil is world-priced in U.S. dollars so it takes many more Euros now than it did early this year. This principle applies to everything that is bought abroad by European countries. Why do we care? Politics.

Let’s make this simple. Take your neighborhood and use the housing market as an example. Ever had a "soft" market for home values in your area? Of course you have. Everyone has. So the local real estate boards decide the way to keep prices from going down is to buy houses as they come on the market at the current prices even though the real values continue to slip lower. What happens? Immediately prices strengthen, but slowly they start to weaken again and finally the real estate boards run out of money and suddenly when the artificial buying ceases the market collapses to a lower price than where they started their "intervention". Brilliant strategy!

As I have said in my book an economist is the last person you want to consult about what is going to happen in the real market. Most of them don’t know the price of a loaf of bread and quart of milk. They will quote you econometric formulas until they are blue in the face and no two of them will agree on anything.

Until the underlying economies of the European countries strengthen with good sound economic principles, primarily laissez-faire, you will not see a long-term positive effect on the Euro.

If you aren’t confused you by now, don’t worry about it because none of us peons can get these geniuses to use good common sense.

Al Thomas’ book, "If It Doesn’t Go Up, Don’t Buy It!" has helped thousands of people make money and keep their profits with his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter at http://www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why he’s the man that Wall Street does not want you to know.

Copyright 2005

al@mutualfundstrategy.com; 1-888-345-7870

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.

Not a duck, not a squirrel, not a possum and especially not a bear. And everyone likes bulls better than bears in the stock market.

The mix of news that feeds this bull is indeed strange as is the economic background. Each day there is a report of “better than expected” earnings, employment, confidence, something. The general background tone is quite negative with huge looming long term deficits yet the market keeps chugging away higher and higher. I like that.

The talking heads on CNBC-TV have been jawboning a bull market all the way down from NASDAQ 5000 and now they have turned cautious. Yes, some of them are now cheerleaders for the new bull (if it is a bull and not a duck). One of them said the market is undervalued. At 33 times earnings? The mean P/E ratio (Price Earnings) since 1800 has been about 14 or 15, but “this time it is different”. Really?

There may not be any logic in the market going higher, but I don’t need logic when it is going up; I just get on board for a profitable ride. My regular readers know I believe in the trend and right now the trend is up. Don’t ask me when the trend will end. I don’t know, but I will be watching what Mr. Market is telling me and act accordingly. As long as it has four legs, horns and moos like a cow I will stay with it. When the tune changes - goodbye.

The basic question remains. How do you know when the trend changes? Don’t ask your broker as he doesn’t know; however, there is a very simple and accurate method that many people have used and I also use to know the general direction of the market. If you have a computer or you can use the one at the library you can go to www.bigcharts.com and type in the symbol for the S&P500 Index. It is SP500. You can then put in the value for the number of days you wish for the moving average which in this case is 200. Click and you’re done. This is an excellent way to find the trend of the market. When the price of the S&P Index is above the 200-day line you are a buyer and when it falls below you sell out and put your money in cash. Very simple.

Right now there is a loud mooing sound. When you hear the growl you will want to run for cover.

Al Thomas’ book, "If It Doesn’t Go Up, Don’t Buy It!" has helped thousands of people make money and keep their profits with his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter at http://www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why he’s the man that Wall Street does not want you to know.

Copyright 2005

al@mutualfundstrategy.com; 1-888-345-7870

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?

Let’s first realize what it is that makes a stock price go up. The basic reason is that the investor thinks that the company will make a larger profit and pay a good dividend - one that is better than it is now doing. People buy in anticipation of better earnings. Really, it is that simple.

Conversely, when a stock starts down investors think the company can no longer sustain its sales and earnings and that the current price is too high so it is sold. Every other reason you hear is hype, smoke and mirrors. Last year we saw more than 1,000 stocks on the Nasdaq exchange lose more than 90% of their value. Many of those stocks have lost even more this year and scores of them are either out of business or been merged into other companies. Their anticipated sales and earnings never showed up.

When a large section of the market is adversely affected with shrinking sales that action many times begins to slip over into other sectors. Last year it was the technology group as a whole that suffered the most. This year it will be almost all the New York Stock Exchange stocks. We have just witnessed the biggest point loss in one week in NYSE history. In the long run it is going to go much lower after its rally.

The market was already headed down before the World Trade Center tragedy and this single act triggered a great amount of emotional selling. The bear market, which has been with us for about a year, would have gone down to the September 21, 2001 lows anyway even if the New York disaster had not occurred.

One thing investors do not like is uncertainty. People want their money to be safe so they will sell some of what they have and will not buy. Those with 401Ks can transfer to money markets. It has become very evident that almost every type of business with a few exceptions will have less sales and shrinking profits. It is not a time to buy. The talking heads on TV are telling you that you can’t afford to be out of the market. Oh, yes you can. The best place for the next several months is in a nice safe Money Market fund or some type of short-term bond no-load mutual fund.

Until the market uncertainty goes away and profits start improving for a majority of companies it is best to maintain a cash position. That may not be until the middle of next year. In the meantime cash is king. Don’t let anyone talk you into buying anything. The bear is still loose. Don’t let him gobble up your investments.

Al Thomas’ book, "If It Doesn’t Go Up, Don’t Buy It!" has helped thousands of people make money and keep their profits with his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter at http://www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why he’s the man that Wall Street does not want you to know.

Copyright 2005

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.

The same goes for buying stocks or mutual funds. All the brokerage companies tell you to do your research before you buy. Kick the tires. Slam the doors. Look at the odometer. But how do you do this and can you really get the true story about any equity because you can’t take it for a test drive and you don’t want to believe any broker. Wall Street wants you to read the prospectus, study the annual report, find out about management, learn the P/E ratios, see that their sales and earnings are increasing and on and on and on gathering statistics until your head hurts.

OK, now you have all that information, but what do you have?

The Annual Report. The title ought to give you a clue. Much of the information in it is already a year old and much older depending upon when you are looking at it.

The Prospectus. Did you know that this complex document was not written for you, the investor? It was written for some Dilbert in his cubicle at the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington who studies it to be sure it meets all the regulations for full disclosure, whatever that is. If you read the prospectuses for any stock or mutual fund that is a real winner and another where you will lose all your money you will find they are both almost identical. It is a waste of time to read these. They belong in the bottom of a birdcage.

Company management. Do you think they are going to tell you anything bad? Come on.

Shall we keep on going or are you getting the idea? What you are gathering is information that everyone else can access, some of which can be distorted and will not tell you the most important thing of all. Will the stock or mutual fund go up if I buy it? Your broker has all this information so don’t ask him as he will regurgitate this mess and make it sound important. In other words he doesn’t know either.

When it comes to buying stocks and mutual funds you cannot do any worthwhile research the way Wall Street tells you. When your stock goes down and you lose money they can look you in the eye and say you did your research and it is not our fault you lost money. It is their way to keep from being sued for bad advice.

Kicking tires the way the big boys tell you doesn’t work. In a later column I will go into how to find equities that do go up and you won’t need any of that Wall Street disinformation to find winners.

Al Thomas’ book, "If It Doesn’t Go Up, Don’t Buy It!" has helped thousands of people make money and keep their profits with his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter at http://www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why he’s the man that Wall Street does not want you to know.

Copyright 2005

Hello Inflation, it has been awhile, I see you on your way back again. Inflation? What inflation? Oh things like; Energy, diesel fuel, Aviation Fuel, Gasoline, Natural Gas, Milk, Wheat, Corn, Beef, Poultry, Hogs, Soy Beans, Building materials, paper, housing, Auto Prices, Health Care, Insurance, etc. You know the basics. Also considering the wholesale inflation, which comes from fuel costs being passed on, government regulations infringing on productivity and additional fees and fines to replace the taxes and incentives. When wholesale prices go up, those are passed onto the consumer.

How do we know all this? This is not a guess by any means. We have studied these issues for quite a while. Here is why we think this. Well as far as agriculture, we know from the droughts in the major farming regions and we can tell by the commodities market. We have seen the high temperatures and lack of water with Wheat and Corn in ID, MT, ND, SD, NE, KS. In other markets floods have hurt some crops. Also drought hurting the growing of feed for Cattle, meaning beef prices will go up. Canada MAD COW now our Mad Cow problem, problems with Japan’s increased tariffs on beef. Hogs and Beef in KS cannot get the water they need. Also in farming we have seen areas where the Sierra Club is suing so many projects to stop or slow building of new reservoirs in NM, ID, CO, AZ, NV, OR, CA. Also the specialty crops are running low and not enough to meet demand, things like berries (see bear lake issues) and issues in Winnepeg and BC, grapes (2 buck chuck run supplies low), etc as well as issues with depleted soil in Central Valley CA, Desert Farmers along the AZ and CA border cannot use that amount of water since CA and AZ will need it for new housing areas, golf courses and other uses (see the Colorado river situation) Farmers VS Developers and housing in PHX, Tucson, Las Vegas, San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, many are predicting a bubble burst, we have seen issues in the REITs which was a little bit of a shake up.

Natural Gas from the lack of new wells being drilled, for instance off the coast of Maine and the Gulf. Lack of ability to gear up in infrastructure fast enough to supply this winter’s need even though it should be a relatively non-violent winter as far as that goes-however few Hurricanes on West Coast last year showed us a lowered Jet Stream and lower latitude airflows, La Nina comes next and that means drought continued and water prices will go up and many business which use water will be worried and charge more too for their services. I have also been studying the EU droughts and heat and the issues with their exports meaning supply will not equal demand. Humanitarian needs are at issue as well. Meanwhile the Super Crops are being blocked by EU and WTO and much of those crops may not be able to be used in all markets. Some really bad deals here for humanity. Fruit in FL and the everglades issues are getting to be a bigger deal.

Dairy Farmers in ID are up 12% but they want more money and the National Dairy Association is also pushing forward. Increased demand is putting the dairy farmers feeling that they can charge more and will soon need to upgrade. The fires in ID, MT are using up much water supplies very early and fire season has another 2.5 months left. Also CO, NM, WY not out of the season yet. What about the threat of Bird Flu?

With Building materials we are seeing increased government regulation, timber tariffs on imported from Canada. Paper industry is in trouble and the replanted forests and forest farms are usually fast growing trees good for paper, not building grade timber. Housing spikes caused this, many areas growing fast.

Oil prices up due to manipulations in supply, Middle East issues, China coming on strong with needs of her own, Military needs effecting supply and demand issues, International Terrorists screwing with infrastructures, South American trade war paybacks, oil pipelines too few, Nimby-ism slowing output and inflows while the demand has increased, Airline fuel down and therefore price has too increase to pay for the direct cost loads. Our growth and consumerism has outpaced our supply and infrastructures. With energy the Blackout of 2003, rolling CA issues, generation plants being shut down, slowness of building new Nuclear Power Plants, issues in OR along the major Columbia River with Bonneville Power, issues with CA and SMUD, issues with upgrades needed in Coal Plants to meet EPA upgrades also same problems in VA, NC, SC, and the Tennessee River Valley Authority. Pipeline break in AZ and Phoenix they were paying nearly $2.00 per gallon, but now in CA they are at $2.65 per gallon. Sabotage in Iraq screws up supply for worldwide market. We are seeing OPEC moving forward to keep prices high, China coming online with needs, world demand is going up, takes too long to ramp up our own production and few companies wish too, for fear of dropping of prices too quickly, meanwhile we are seeing $2.46 gasoline on West Coast and $1.90 in San Antonio, no one expects these prices to come down, recessions follow high fuel prices by 6 months? So these are all issues and everything we buy has these high costs figured in. Construction, farming, transportation. Some school districts complaining about cost of buses and kids hurting budgets and at the same time increased prices mean more monies to state coffers which charge percentages of fuel prices as tax.

This article is in no way a doom and gloom showing, because I do see increased economic sunshine in many markets, but not all, those which have the burdens of drought, fires, shortages and manufacturing are going to see some more tough times. When energy goes up, some businesses running redline on low margins with lots of competition will see harder times and layoffs in the near future, while other sectors will be continuing the recovery.

These companies must raise prices, nearly all airlines have announced even additional higher fares this week, 14 of the largest trucking companies; the ones which haul the food, building materials, cars to dealerships and everything on every shelf in America. Railroad is increasing rates too. And Independent truck drivers holding on by a thread with insurance costs up too. We are also not going to be able to release the Military reserves in such uncertain times. So Inflation, there she blows and meanwhile interest rates will increase and money flows continue offshore.

What is of concern is that without increased wages, higher percentages of consumer incomes will be spent on food, gas, energy and other artificially inflated or supply and demand driven goods and services, yes that includes many sectors.

Now is a very important time in our nations history and in the business cycles at hand. We will get through this as it also hits other nations who sell to us, the trick is to come out of this present period with after burners blazing and set a course to the future prosperity and into the annals of destiny. Which we may write thru our human spirit and will.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; www.WorldThinkTank.net/

Everybody is riding the Wall Street Roller coaster. Even if you are not invested, the headlines scream out one word: PANIC!

It’s hard not to join in the panicking. The Panic Crowd seems to be having all the fun these days. But they don’t have all the happiness. You see, it’s true what your mother told you: money doesn’t buy happiness, at least not for most people. But the lack of money does buy pure misery.

Did you ever wonder why so many office towers have fusion-sealed, micron-proof windows to keep office workers safe from any semblance of fresh air? It has to do with the stock market. During The Great Depression, just too many brokers were jumping out of windows. This enraged a nation of vengeful investors, who demanded to kill their brokers personally. So henceforth all windows were sealed.

(The good news is that by the time the windows were sealed, The Great Depression had ended, so there have been very few reported cases of enraged investors killing their brokers. However, there have been several incidents of "office air suffocation syndrome" — but that’s another issue for another column.)

Oh no! Not another Top Ten list!

Here are The Happy Guy’s Top Ten Tips for Staying Sane While Wall Street Crashes Around You:

1. Don’t panic. Enough people are doing that already; you’re needed elsewhere.
2. Don’t join the Panic Crowd. They are NOT having more fun, they just act that way to attract new members fold. Misery loves company.
3. Take inventory. Do you have the basic necessities? If so, you are OK. When they come to take away your television remote control, then panic.
4. Smile at your neighbor. A smile lifts everybody’s spirits, but most of all your own.
5. Remember the Great Depression. It sucked, but people survived. It’s amazing how many non-essentials we take for granted. Rent a movie about the 1930s, sit back, and laugh about how much better our depression is going to be.
6. Learn a new skill. In hard times, it pays to be very, very employable. And you may even be lucky enough to have two jobs. Oh, wait. That’s our problem now.
7. Start saving now. Then when the bottom falls out, at least you’ll have something to live on for three-and-a-half weeks.
8. Start spending now. It’s folks like you, saving all your money instead of spending it, that are killing the economy.
9. Stop listening to people telling you to save or to spend. In fact, stop listening to news about the markets. It’s just too depressing.
10. Ignore top ten lists. They are way too gimmicky and seldom give any truly useful information (except for this one, of course!)

There you have it. The Happy Guy’s Top Ten Tips for Staying Sane While Wall Street Crashes Around You. All the advice your mother didn’t tell you about financial markets, and more importantly, about keeping happy while others suffer. The bottom line is don’t panic, don’t invest all your emotions where your money is invested, and focus on what really matters.

About The Author

David Leonhardt is The Happy Guy. He is an energetic motivational speaker and author of Climb Your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness. Visit him at

http://www.TheHappyGuy.com

David@TheHappyGuy.com

Most stock market traders have a favorite technical indicator.

The one that they have the most confidence in. The one that, from experience, they trust the most. Or the one that they always look at first.

For some it is the RSI. Others like the Stochastic or the MACD . Or one of the literally hundreds of other indicators that are available.

Well, I love the MACD. And the Stochastic is also a favorite.

But there is one indicator that I refer to more often than any other. However, before I tell you what it is, it is important that this discussion is placed in context.

I always stress with the traders that I mentor that the most important part of your analysis is price action.

By this I mean that the very first thing you should look at is the shape of the stock’s chart. And any patterns that you may be able to identify.

In particular, look for trends and consolidation. Candlestick reversal patterns and support and resistance levels. And be particularly aware of all time or 52-week highs or lows.

Also, be on the lookout for double tops and bottoms and triangles and head and shoulder patterns.

Because it is only in the context of the basic price action that you can make your trading decisions. And it is only from this understanding that you should begin to apply your technical indicators.

So, establish the context for your further analysis. Indeed, use this first process as a screening device.

Because, unless the chart immediately “speaks” to you, you should eliminate the stock from any further review.

What I mean by this is that unless there is a clear reversal pattern or potential for a breakout, move on. Don’t waste time analyzing charts that have no likelihood of immediate movement.

And one of the best patterns for short-term trading is the channel. Always keep an eye out for these and when you find one, give serious consideration to trading them. Now, let’s get back to our earlier discussion. What is the most important indicator?

Well, whilst this might surprise some of you, I believe it is volume.

You see volume is an indication of the strength of price action. A market needs high volume or increasing volume to sustain a movement in price.

So we want to see volume moving in the direction of the price. Increasing both in an uptrend and also a downtrend.

But realize that it takes more effort to push prices higher than it does to cause them to drop. So increasing volume is more significant in an uptrend than a downtrend.

If volume is diverging from the trend [going down instead of up] then we would normally not carry out any further analysis. Because the lack of volume means that there is a lower probability of price movement in the direction of the current trend.

Note however, that divergence can be an indication that a trend is about to end. So this can be an early sign of a reversal.

Another important aspect to volume that is often overlooked is in regard to retracements. Because the volume during retracements gives us a significant indication of the strength of the overall trend.

A strong uptrend should have higher volume on the upward legs of the trend and lower volume on the downward or corrective legs. Similarly in a downtrend.

Volume is best plotted below your chart as a histogram, or series of vertical lines.

And it helps to add a moving average line over the histogram to smooth the volume readings. I use a 3 day MA but you can experiment to see what works best for you.

But most importantly, always consider volume before entering a trade.

David Chandler For free mini-course on stock and options trading click the following link: http://www.StockMarketGenie.com http://stockmarketgenie.blogspot.com/ Ordinary People Making Extraordinary Profits! The above comments are offered for educational purposes only. We are not providing you with financial advice. We are simply sharing with you what has and hasn’t worked for us personally. If you wish to trade or invest in the stock market you should obtain advice from a registered licensed advisor.

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?

This is the Buy N Hold strategy and, in case you haven’t noticed, lost from 40% to 60% and more of investors’ money from 2000 to 2003. Fortunately, for the past year stock markets around the world have gone up and folks have recovered about 25% to 30% from those low numbers. They are still about 60% out-of-pocket.

The market is now in an uptrend and who is to say how long it will last. A long time I hope. Never fight the trend. What the smart investor does is learn to spot the trend and go with it either up or down. What do I mean go with it “down”? The most important advice one can receive about the stock market (and I am not joking) is not to lose money. If you teach yourself to find major trends you will never lose any big money. Small losses are acceptable, but big losses are the killers.

When I was a floor trader on the exchange I had many small losses and I had an equal number of big gains. The difference was I made $3.00 profit for each $1.00 loss. At the end of the year I had doubled or tripled, sometimes quadrupled my trading account. You don’t have to be a Wall Street expert to do this. Anyone can.

The simplest way is to learn to use stop loss orders. Brokers hate them and never recommend them because it makes extra work. Hey, isn’t that why he is there – to service your account?

Until you become flexible with your thinking you are doomed to be caught in the next down cycle. We ARE going to have another despite what any Maul Street says. Right now conditions look good, but some time in the future (and I don’t predict when) we will have another serious bear market correction. At that time the smart investor is either in a money market account or bonds.

There is a very simple way to understand the language of the market. It talks to you every day, but few take the time to comprehend. Just these few words from Mr. Market will save you countless thousands – “200-day Moving Average penetration”. If you will look at this simple method as delineated daily in the Investors Business Daily Mutual Fund Index you will not only be wiser, but also richer. Each time the index is above the 200-day line you own equities and when it is below you are in cash. Does it get any easier than that? This will always tell you the major trend and then it is up to you to choose which equities to own.

My stock right or wrong? Don’t be wrong.

Al Thomas’ book, "If It Doesn’t Go Up, Don’t Buy It!" has helped thousands of people make money and keep their profits with his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter at http://www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why he’s the man that Wall Street does not want you to know.

Copyright 2005