The 10 Must Do’s for Investing Success!!

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As with anything else in life investing is a risk reward game that when played right by being focused on the game rather than staring at the scoreboard can be won. Financial independence is achieved by only those who play the long-term game of investing, who focus on their goals, understand that it is a marathon not a sprint, have a solid financial plan in place and stick with it through thick and thin.

I have been lucky to have studied the legendary investors Benjamin Graham, Warren Buffett, John Templeton, Walter Schloss, Philip Fisher and Peter Lynch for the last 13 years and have learnt what works and what does not in investing. These legendary investors have been kind enough to share with us their wisdom and for anyone aiming for financial security should read as much as they can from them. In my opinion it is the only way, the legendary investors have been so successful because they played the game of investing in their own terms, not on Wall Street’s terms.

Having studied the legendary investors since 2005 here are the 10 Must Do’s I strongly believe will help the average investor break the shackles of Wall Street, keep what is yours, invest it successfully for the long term and achieve your Financial Destiny you so badly deserve.

The 10 Commandments to your Financial Destiny:

You must be self-aware of your current situation. Blaming others for your financial troubles is not right and does not help you solve the problem. It’s insane to dream about financial independence when you’re overspending and borrowing your way to financial destruction. If you really want to be financially free then, be honest with yourself, admit your mistakes, live below your means and invest the difference, it’s that simple.

Make the best investment you can make. As Warren Buffett says the best investment you can make is in yourself, because nobody can take it from you, the government cannot tax it and it will serve you very well in every stage of your life. You can go bankrupt, lose everything but knowledge is something you will have for as long as you live, and you won’t be taken by dishonest people out there.

You must be focused on your financial objectives and not let anything distract you from sticking with you long term plan. Wall Street does a great job at creating this financial fog, mislead and exploit the average American so it’s important to cut out the noise and not let anything harmful get into your mind. As the great Jim Rohn said, “Everyday stand guard at the door of your mind” So don’t let anyone fill your mental factory with just anything because you have to live with the results.

You Must Know What Your Goals Are and Be Obsessed with Reaching Them. When you’re obsessed with reaching your goals you will not let anyone come between you and your goals to distract or sway you. You’re either going to be owned by Wall Street bullies with well-crafted sales pitches or you’re going to be owned by your goals, dreams and your Financial Destiny.

If You’re Going to need Help, then It’s important to be Working with an Honest Advisor and not with someone with conflicting interests who will load you up with insurance products to make a commission. If you’re not being heard and the products do not address your concerns and your financial objectives, then you know you’re dealing with a salesman.

An honest advisor is easy to spot because they stick out like a sore thumb. They will listen to you, address all your concerns, incorporate your objectives, risk tolerance, time horizon and income needs into a comprehensive financial plan that will work for you. An honest advisor has no conflicting interest and will always do what’s right for you.

Have a long-term plan and stick with through thick & thin. Know how markets work, do not panic and make impulse decisions that will hurt you, control your emotions and always remember why you have a plan, what those goals mean to you and why being financially independent is important to you.

Buy outstanding businesses. Outstanding businesses are the ones that care about their employees, their customers, shareholders and the social impact they have. Those are the kind of businesses you should put your money on for the long term because they will stand the test of time and reward you.

Take advantage of market sell-offs. Legendary investor John Templeton said that “If you’re not willing to take advantage of the market when it drops by 50% maybe 2 or 3 times in your lifetime, then you’re not a long-term investor.” It’s important to act in those times because that is when risk is lowest and the potential for gain is high which in turn will boost your returns in a nice way.

Avoid paying unnecessary taxes and trading costs. Trading costs eat on your returns and only help your broker. The tax law penalizes short term capital gains at 35% so you cannot achieve financial independence by giving Uncle Sam 35% of your money.

Have the power of compounding do its magic by working for you. Einstein called it “the Eighth wonder of the world, the most powerful force in the universe. He who understands it earns it, he who doesn’t pays it. So, it’s important to have compounding working for you, not against you.

As Albert Einstein said “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler” so to summarize: