Invest in the stock market for the RIGHT reason, using the RIGHT choices

Investing in the stock market is not purchasing a stock at 25 dollars a share, hoping it will go to 35 so you can sell it, then hoping it will drop back to 25 so you can buy it back, so that you can sell it again at 35, and so on and so forth.

In my opinion, that is gambling. And, I would imagine, some would believe that ANY investment in the stock market is gambling.

So, for the sake of argument, let’s assume that every investment in the stock market is a gamble (whether you’re trading in and out of a stock position or a long-term investor). If every investment in the stock market is a gamble, then, how does the investor/gambler stack the odds in their favor?

What are the right investment choices for the right reason that will stack the odds in favor of the individual investor, to receive a return worth the gamble? What is the RIGHT reason, and what are the RIGHT choices to make when investing/gambling in the stock market when looking for a return better than a passbook savings account, a CD, Bond or Mutual Fund?

The right reason to invest/gamble in the stock market, believe it or not, is not to make a profit! That’s right! The right reason to invest/gamble in the stock market is to provide an INCOME! Actually, I’ll go even one step further! The right reason to invest/gamble in the stock market is to receive an EVER-INCREASING CASH income every quarter from every stock that you own!

Once you have set your mind toward this right reason for investing/gambling, then the right choices will become very clear.

If every stock owned (every quarter) is going to supply an ever-increasing cash income, then two right choices, right from the get-go, are necessary. One, that every company’s stock purchased must pay a cash dividend, and two, that every cash dividend paid by the company would have to be rolled back into more shares every quarter, until retirement. Those two right choices means that every quarter there will be more shares of each company owned, which, in turn, will create an ever-increasing cash dividend income (as long as the companies owned maintain their dividend).

To stack the odds further in favor of the investor/gambler, another right choice is necessary. Only those companies with a long-term history of raising their cash dividend every year will be chosen. This right choice will provide a yearly increase in the cash dividend income for the retirement years, when the dividends are being sent home to help ends-meet, and are no longer adding shares to the portfolio. The rising yearly dividend increase will, therefore, help off-set the risk of inflation.

Now, there is another right choice to make. To receive the best return on your investment/gambling dollars, all companies chosen will be purchased commission-free. All dividends from each company, each quarter being rolled into more shares, will be commission-free. Therefore, every cent earned in ever-increasing cash dividends every quarter and any extra cash put into your investment/gambling plan will work toward always increasing your cash-dividend income.

By investing for the right reason and using the right choices you automatically become a long-term, dollar-cost averaging, buying investor/gambler of company’s shares, free of commission charges, whose companies raise their dividend every year, with the investor’s / gambler’s idea or purpose being to provide an 85% tax-free income, through ever-increasing cash dividends for the rest of your life, no matter what the price of the stock at any given time in the market place may be.

For more excerpts from the book ‘The Stockopoly Plan – Investing for Retirement’ visit: http://www.thestockopolyplan.com

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Charles M. O’Melia is an individual investor with almost 40 years of experience and passion for the stock market. The author of the book ‘The Stockopoly Plan’; published by American-Book Publishing. The book can be purchased at www.pdbookstore.com/comfiles/pages/CharlesMOMelia.shtml

Every stock market investor faces one primal enemy. An enemy so perverse, it will drive thousands of investors from the stock market through its ability to defeat even the most practiced investment strategy. Who is this enemy you ask? Your arch nemesis, in this case, goes by the name E. Motions…don’t ask me what the “E” stands for.

Emotions are the driving force behind every stock market cycle. Quite simply, if they weren’t present in the stock market, investors could be reaping rewards based solely on the expanding or receding economy, and professional traders wouldn’t have any juicy profits from those emotional mistakes to grab.

Here is an example scenario:

Let’s say that you’ve done your homework, read the books, traded on paper, and now you’re making your fondest dream come true by investing in the market and making money!

You maturely approach losses as part of the learning curve. You’ve experienced your share of them but your wins are still in the lead, thanks to the commitment you made of not deviating from your chosen strategy. Euphoria sits on your shoulder.

One day, after 3 frustrating hours in traffic, you get home to find changes. You know that you should follow your strategy, but Stress and Greed are in charge. You’re buying and selling outside your strategy, but are confident that it will be ok – just this once.

Now prices are dropping and Fear enters the room.

Fear attacks every investor’s self-confidence with a voracious need for control. You spend sleepless nights listening to his mantra - you don’t know what you’re doing.

Fear and Greed are now dictating the strategy. Self-confidence is on the critical list. Reason and Caution are under attack and are losing.

You ignore the primary investment rule of buying low, selling high because you’ve lost too much and have to recoup. You close your eyes and dive in to recover your losses. “It will work,” says Greed on your right. “It has to work!” responds Fear on your left.

Your partner has now entered the fray and is hounding you about the lost money. Your capital is almost gone. You erred grievously and invested money that you need now. Margin calls are being made. You’re out of control.

While the components of the above scenario will change, the catalyst of this nightmare remains the same – emotions. You’ll survive the nightmare, but the experience will forever change you. Fear will shade every future stock market decision and severely limit your ability to objectively evaluate any investment opportunity out of fear that you’ll lose again. But, it doesn’t have to be that way.

Developing a strategy to deal with emotions can give you a winning edge.

Here’s how:

• Don’t go into the stock market to feel good about yourself.
• Always look outside of the stock market for self-gratification and affirmation.
• Make a commitment to stick to your chosen action plan or strategy. Don’t deviate.
• When a loss occurs, examine it and learn from it. Don’t try to get even.
• Think before you leap into anything
• If you are stressed out, vulnerable, or overly emotional (high or low), do not trade. It’s not worth the financial risk.

Remember, the key isn’t denying or curbing your emotions, but instead understanding how they impact your investment decisions and developing a strategy to work with them.

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Jeff Fairchild is the publisher of http://www.best-stock-trading-systems.com The site includes tips, techniques, strategies, and systems designed around improving your stock trading profits. Investors and traders! Are you overwhelmed by all of the online stock information on the net? One of these pages may be of help:

http://www.best-stock-trading-systems.com/internet_stock_investing.html