Why You Must Steward Your Own Investments

After the economic meltdown of last year, when we saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummet to under 7000, many people lost most of their life savings. Folks from California to Europe to Japan lost tons of money, literally. Years and years of hard work went down the drain in the blink of an eye. Lives were destroyed overnight, and these sorts of losses investors and hard working folks just can't get back in the "blink of an eye."

Don't let this happen to you. Don't be a victim of reassurances from your bleeping broker that everything is alright, that everything will get better, that you haven't lost everything. These same brokers are telling hard working folks like you and me that the recovery is right around the corner. Yeah right. Tell that to the folks in their golden years who have been working hard their entire lives for 40+ years, making someone else rich, while just trying to plan for a nice retirement. Well, I say SCREW THAT NONSENSE. Wanna know why? Because they have a crystal ball and can predict the future just as much as I can pull a rabbit out of my ass.

What we learned in the economic lessons of 2008 was that none of us are immune to financial catastrophe. Financial ruination can strike anyone of us at any time. Of the many misfortunes that occurred during the global economic meltdown, the biggest one was our trust of public and private institutions. For example, when you are roaring down the highway at 90 mph, at some point you might get stopped by a cop and given a speeding ticket. We can't have everyone driving around recklessly in our society, now can we? The same holds true for our markets, our means of earning a living, and our means of building a retirement or investment portfolio.

Where were all of the "financial cops" doing prior to the economic meltdown? Asleep? Getting donuts and coffee? Just plain lazy? Probably all three. This is why you must learn to manage your own investments. You cannot let your broker be in complete control. The time you invest learning about making the right moves in the market will help you from financial disaster.

Have you ever heard the saying, "Don't screw around with people's money?" It is true. The more you know, the better off you are from losing your money to those who don't have your best interests at heart.