{"id":30146,"date":"2012-06-11T07:16:04","date_gmt":"2012-06-11T11:16:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/countingpips.com\/forex-news\/2012\/06\/a-proven-investment-strategy-for-uncertain-times\/"},"modified":"2012-06-11T07:16:04","modified_gmt":"2012-06-11T11:16:04","slug":"a-proven-investment-strategy-for-uncertain-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.investmacro.com\/forex-news\/2012\/06\/11\/a-proven-investment-strategy-for-uncertain-times\/","title":{"rendered":"A Proven Investment Strategy for Uncertain Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Article by Investment U<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Forget about emotions. Stop trying to time the market. Stick to following a proven investment strategy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

I know stocks aren\u2019t exactly a fun asset class to be in right now.<\/p>\n

Since April, the S&P has dropped 9%. And you can sense the roller coaster ride isn\u2019t going to end soon either.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s worse, investors like you and I have been dealing with the same old issues for a few years.<\/p>\n

The Eurozone is still a mess. The possibility of it disbanding heats up and cools off almost every other day.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the U.S. economy merely keeps sputtering along. And as the U.S. government attempts to spend its way to prosperity, the next recession feels like it\u2019s just around the corner.<\/p>\n

These days, there\u2019s even more to worry about too. China\u2019s economy is slowing. New and expensive wars could begin in Iran and North Korea. There\u2019s also no telling whether or not the U.S. housing market has found a bottom.<\/p>\n

Everything mixed together is the perfect recipe for volatility in the stock market.<\/p>\n

But I don\u2019t care how bad things seem, nobody knows where stocks will be 12 months from now or even tomorrow.<\/p>\n

And just as things could get worse, they could get much better as well.<\/p>\n

For example, from October 2007 to March 2009, who could\u2019ve predicted stock prices would plummet over 50%?<\/p>\n

By the same token, did anybody foresee stocks turning around in 2009 and soaring up around 80% today?<\/p>\n

No.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to forget about our emotions and trying to time the markets altogether. And instead, stick to following a proven strategy when approaching our stock investments.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s All About The Plan<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Today, there are two common mistakes novice investors make that really burns them when the markets go sour.<\/p>\n

First, they don\u2019t know how much money to put into any given stock. And second, they don\u2019t know how to protect their profits \u2013 exit strategies are of utmost importance.<\/p>\n

So, here are two very important elements of any successful investing strategy:<\/p>\n