Topic: How To Invest

What is Pat’s commentary for the week of September 3, 2014

Article Excerpt

Switching to a discount broker makes sense for many investors. It’s sure to cut your per-trade commission costs. But high per-trade brokerage commissions are rarely if ever the sole reason for poor investment results. If you are unhappy with your results, you should check to see if you are making one or more of these four main investing mistakes: Buying and selling too often Buying too many low-quality investments Failing to diversify, or Buying too many stocks in the broker/media limelight. Low commissions are better than high commissions, of course. But low commissions can warp your investing decisions. You may decide that low commissions give you the freedom to sell at the first sign of trouble. However, all stocks go through troubled periods from time to time. High-quality stocks manage to overcome their troubles. Low-quality stocks go from bad to worse. Some of your investments may be headed for a huge rise in the long term. If you always sell at the first hint of trouble,…