Topic: How To Invest

What is Pat’s commentary for the week of November 12, 2013

Article Excerpt

More and more, I find that I cringe a little every time an investor tells me that they recognize their current investment approach is not appropriate, but they are not yet ready to switch. With a little probing, these investors usually go on to explain that they have lost too much money with the current approach, and they “can’t afford” to sell out at current prices and convert that paper loss into a real one. Instead, they plan to stick with the current approach for an indefinite period. Sometimes they want to hold on to their current portfolio until they get back to break-even. Others say they’ll be satisfied if the current loss shrinks by, say, half. I recall one time in summer 2000. A friend asked me to have a short chat with a female relative who had just gone through a divorce and had received “a very generous settlement”. He said he didn’t know the details but the lady…