The new financial media has convinced investors that there is someone out there that can predict the future.

They have convinced investors that there is someone who can get out of the market at the right time. And then get back in at the right time. There are occasions when someone gets it right. But there is no one to predict who that someone will be in advance.

They also have convinced investors that there is someone who can consistently pick the right stocks for gains. What investors don’t realize is that this is a matter of luck and not skill.

They want to avoid the stock market losses at all costs.

Since no one can predict the future, this is a huge mistake.

You must decide if you are a gambler/speculator or an investor. Gamblers believe they can out guess the market and avoid all losses. The gamblers have proven numerous times to be wrong in the long run. One may get ‘lucky’ but no one can consistently market time.

In markets like these, diversification is your buddy.

Proper diversification spreads risk across various asset classes with varying return characteristics or dissimilar price movement. Simply said: they don’t do the same thing at the same time.

Most investors are narrowly diversified into top performing funds or classes of the last five to ten years. They often feel diversified but aren’t.

To be diversified means including classes or types of funds in your portfolio that did poorly over the last five to ten years. If you do this, your portfolio will look and perform very differently from your neighbors’ or friends’.

Those of you which are my clients, own portfolios which are professionally diversified and rebalanced much like the large pension funds.

Over time these portfolios will help you successfully accomplish your investment goals.

To succeed in investing you must own equities….globally diversify…..rebalance.