The Little Book of Safe Money: How to Conquer Killer Markets, Con Artists, and Yourself

The Three Commandments of Investing
Amazon-exclusive content from author Jason Zweig

The First Commandment:
Thou shalt take no risk that thou needst not take.

Always ask yourself: Is this risk necessary? Are there safer alternatives that can accomplish the same objective? Have I studied the pros and cons of each before settling on this choice as the single best way to achieve my goal? Unless you ask, do not invest.

The Second Commandment:
Thou shalt take no risk that is not most certain to reward thee for taking it.

Always ask yourself: How do I know this risk will be rewarded? Most certain to reward thee does not mean that there is zero chance that you will not be rewarded. It does mean, and must mean, that you are highly likely to be rewarded. What is the historical evidence, based on the real experience of other investors, to suggest that this approach will actually succeed? During the periods in the past when it hasn t worked and every investment in history has gone through such dry spells, regardless of what the hypesters might tell you how big were the losses? Unless you ask, do not invest.

The Third Commandment:
Thou shalt put no money at risk that thou canst not afford to lose.

Always ask yourself: Can I stand to lose 100 percent of this money? Have I analyzed not merely how much I will gain if I am right, but how much I can lose and how I will overcome those losses if I turn out to be wrong? Will my other assets and income be sufficient to sustain me if this investment wipes me out? If I lose every penny I put into this idea, can I recover from the damage? Unless you ask, do not invest.