Every day there seems to be a new report on the news about the unpredictability of the stock market.
If you're new to stock investing, it makes you wonder if this is a good time to begin.
Even if you have been investing for quite some time, you probably are wondering whether you should continue to stay invested or whether you should look for something more stable and predictable.
The current financial news can certainly play games with your emotions.
It's easy to let fear take over, especially if you have seen some or all of your stock portfolio drop in value.
On the other hand, you might be hearing stock market "experts" say that now is the time that smart investors can pick up stocks at bargain basement prices which will later turn into fortunes when the market improves.
In times like these it seems to be human nature to want to turn over tough decisions to somebody else that seems to know more than we do.
But it's important to remember that the stock market "experts" get paid for having opinions, not necessarily for having accurate information.
Often times these "experts" have their positions in front of the camera or on the front page because of their "personality" and not necessarily because of their long-term success in the stock market.
So it's especially important to remember to use solid business research when making decisions about buying or selling.
Warren Buffett, arguably the most famous successful investor of our times, has made his fortune with an overall "buy-and-hold" strategy.
He believes in long-term investing.
And he believes in thorough research to find financially solid, well managed companies for his stock portfolio.
With this philosophy, making a good purchase decision, there may be stocks that you will never want to or have to sell.
But as you monitor the performance of the company and its management over time, conditions may arise which make you decide to sell the stock.
For instance, management changes and significantly redirects the focus of the company in a direction that is not aligned with your overall investment goals.
But using that criteria as a reason to sell the company's stock is much different than deciding to sell it because the stock price dropped over the course of two quarters, or because the stock analyst "expert" on CNN said he didn't like it anymore.
Or, because other stocks in your portfolio went down and you're afraid that it will too.
Investing actually involves a long-term strategy, whether it's in the stock market or any other asset class.
So don't make the mistake of confusing investing with speculating.
Speculating is buying and selling with the hope of a fast profit.
Investing involves management for long-term gains.