Your best investing maxim?

[RonBoyd]

At what point do fat pigs get relabeled as hogs?

Yeah, I suppose the flip-side is also a useful maxim: "Greed is good."

 

[Onward]

Lots of good ones. Of those I hadn't heard before, I think my favorite is

The world will only end once. All other downturns are merely buying opportunities.

 

[DeborahB]

Buy low, sell high. Also - don't fall in love with a stock. If it goes down too far below your cost, get rid of it (unless there is some other reason to keep it, like a huge dividend.)

Don't be afraid to take calculated risks.

 

[Prime]

The world will only end once. All other downturns are merely buying opportunities

This one is my favorite too. Great thread. All the ones I know are already up here.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Seek only your fair share.

 

[easysurfer]

Sell to your sleeping point.

 

[kcowan]

Buy when everyone else is selling.

Always leave some gains for the guy you are selling to.

 

[calmloki]

Buy when everyone else is selling.

Always leave some gains for the guy you are selling to.

bind not the mouths of the kine that tread the grain

 

[kcowan]

bind not the mouths of the kine that tread the grain

The difference here is that the kine are at least doing something of obvious value:

"If one of your researches invents something that will make the company millions, he deserves more than a slap on the back, especially when the top executives are probably getting paid millions."

​

 

[NW-Bound]

In the early 2000s, I read an interview with John Templeton where he said something to this effect: "I love to help people. When they want to sell, I buy from them. And when they clamor to buy, I sell to them".

I remember clearly that Templeton was so kind and helpful to people that during the tech mania, he even sold to them some dotcom stocks he didn't even have, meaning he was shorting. He didn't need the money, but couldn't help it. He made $80 million.

 

[d]

buy when there's blood in the streets

 

[Tigger]

"The best kept secret in the investing world: Almost nothing turns out as expected."
– Harry Browne

 

[mickeyd]

“Whoever cultivates the golden mean avoids both the poverty of the hovel and the envy of the palace.” Horace 23BC (Bogle on MF)

 

[easysurfer]

It's only a paper loss until you sell.

 

[NW-Bound]

It's only a paper loss until you sell.

I still have a few individual stocks in my account that have become worthless, i.e. bankrupt, and there's nothing left to sell.

 

[NW-Bound]

"Put all your eggs in one basket and watch that basket." -- Mark Twain.

Surely, it's a maxim, just not a good one. Mark Twain filed for bankruptcy.

 

[Koolau]

Those who think in inches and talk by yards should be kicked by feet.

Ooops! Wrong subject.


How about Butch Cassidy's philosophy.


News Carver - "There ain't what I call a fortune here, Butch."

Butch "Just as long as we come out ahead."

 

[chinaco]

+ 1 on many of the maxims.

Grow your wealth slowly but surely!

 

[theloneranger]

Things are never as good as you think they will be or as bad as you think they will be.