April has been one of the most difficult months of my life. It started with identity theft and ended with a 24-year-old loved one in intensive care since Friday the 18th. Without getting into too much detail, the last ten days have been very difficult.

Folks, all the money in the world means nothing if you don't live long enough to enjoy it. This is not a new revelation; still, you shouldn't wait for someone to nearly die to remember it.

This whole mess might have been avoided if he had just gone for an annual physical and blood test. Instead, he has gone through hell and back and has a long road of recover ahead of him.

Close the browser, call a doctor, and get a physical.

Your portfolio will be there when you get back.

Jeff pointed out that the overwhelming majority of the posts on F Wall Street have discussed the "buy side" of being an investor. (And, of course, psychology and when not to buy.) Okay — now we own businesses. What's the next step? (Grab some coffee; this is a looooooong post):

Continue Reading The Art of Selling Your Stocks ››

Folks — it's great to be back. A lot has happened over the past few weeks; then again, you should not have been surprised by any of it. The airlines are shutting down (you could have seen it coming from a mile away — serious note: my heart goes out to the employees); Bear Stearns has fallen (someone had to — serious note: my heart goes out to the employees...again); GE missed Wall Street's optimistic earnings estimates (with more than 35% of 2007 revenue from GE Money and a sever credit crisis? No way!)

(Oh, and someone stole my identity. Moving on.)

With the markets in a dizzying undulation — not quite ready to plummet, not quite ready to soar — it's common to ask yourself, "Did I make the right decision? When should I reevaluate? If it's going to get worse, should I stand on the sidelines for a while and look for a bottom or the signs of a recovery?"

Continue Reading Your Commitment to Business Investing ››