Just as with raising children or as in nurturing one’s career, “success” with personal investing allows plenty of room for subjectivity. After exploring the common opinion of prominent economic actors, established entrepreneurs and financial advisors, I have come to define a successful investor as someone who, with a moderate of time, devises an investment strategy to achieve financial and personal objectives and who gains access to competitive returns by undertaking a certain degree of financial risk. Upon a careful investigation of recent market trends, investing research and stock market perception, it becomes apparent that stock market-specific decision-making builds both on objective variables (unbiased reports, facts, financial figures, diagrams), and subjective factors, in other words, investors’ reactions to quantifiable market indicators (apprehension, haste, stubbornness, fear, greed, impatience, etc.). Especially among the ranks of inexperienced stock market investors, this overlap renders market actors prone to a number of investing mistakes, some bigger than others. In other words, quality decision-making in stock trading is not limited to staying up to date with the facts; it is more about learning how to perceive and interpret the information you get in order to come up with conscious, well-thought-out action plans. Even the most knowledgeable and intelligent stock market players can succumb to simple mistakes if they base their decisions on pure instinct instead of reasoning. And, in fact, a large majority of mistakes are the consequence of subjective thinking, or, in other words, letting feelings take control when making decisions. Because of that, before we begin enumerating and discussing the most common mistakes and traps of stock market investing, we will first discuss the behavioral aspects of investing and probe into several important aspects of cognitive psychology. Once we have learned a little about behavioral biases and how we can avoid letting our feelings take control over the logical mind, we will move on to the most common subjective factors (mostly emotions and misperceptions) that are known to trigger error-prone thinking. We will analyze in this book each of these emotions in turn and come up with a way to take control over them when making financial decisions. Lastly, we will discuss the deadly mistakes in stock market investing in relation with the subjective factors that produce them and see how we can overcome each of them. Therefore, the last chapter of this article serves as a collection of common obstacles that may keep you from being successful and fully accomplishing your financial goals, which also includes useful tips and advice for overcoming those obstacles on your road to stock market investing success. Happy reading and good luck!

CBS MoneyWatch columnist Larry Swedroe’s bedrock principles for investing success Investment Mistakes Even Smart Investors Make and How to Avoid Them helps anyone from the novice investor to the professional money manager become a more informed investor—and ignore the kind of pervasive “conventional wisdom” that so often leads to financial loss. Swedroe describes how behavioral mistakes and overconfidence can lead you to stray from proven investment principles, and he explains how to reverse these temptations and make the right investing decisions when it counts most. Larry Swedroe is Principal and Director of Research at Buckingham Asset Management. He writes the popular blog “Wise Investing” at CBS MoneyWatch.com.

A Must-Read for Any Investor Looking to Maximize Their Chances of Success Big Mistakes: The Best Investors and Their Worst Investments explores the ways in which the biggest names have failed, and reveals the lessons learned that shaped more successful strategies going forward. Investing can be a rollercoaster of highs and lows, and the investors detailed here show just how low it can go; stories from Warren Buffet, Bill Ackman, Chris Sacca, Jack Bogle, Mark Twain, John Maynard Keynes, and many more illustrate the simple but overlooked concept that investing is really hard, whether you're managing a few thousand dollars or a few billion, failures and losses are part of the game. Much more than just anecdotal diversion, these stories set the basis for the book's critical focus: learning from mistakes. These investors all recovered from their missteps, and moved forward armed with a wealth of knowledge than can only come from experience. Lessons learned through failure carry a weight that no textbook can convey, and in the case of these legendary investors, informed a set of skills and strategy that propelled them to the top. Research-heavy and grounded in realism, this book is a must-read for any investor looking to maximize their chances of success. Learn the most common ways even successful investors fail Learn from the mistakes of the greats to avoid losing ground Anticipate challenges and obstacles, and develop an advance plan Exercise caution when warranted, and only take the smart risks While learning from your mistakes is always a valuable experience, learning from the mistakes of others gives you the benefit of wisdom without the consequences of experience. Big Mistakes: The Best Investors and Their Worst Investments provides an incomparable, invaluable resource for investors of all stripes.

Identify mistakes standing in the way of investment success With so much at stake in investing and wealth management, investors cannot afford to keep repeating actions that could have serious negative consequences for their financial goals. The Five Mistakes Every Investor Makes and How to Avoid Them focuses on what investors do wrong so often so they can set themselves on the right path to success. In this comprehensive reference, readers learn to navigate the ever-changing variables and market dilemmas that often make investing a risky and daunting endeavor. Well-known and respected author Peter Mallouk shares useful investment techniques, discusses the importance of disciplined investment management, and pinpoints common, avoidable mistakes made by professional and everyday investors alike. Designed to provide a workable, sensible framework for investors, The Five Mistakes Every Investor Makes and How to Avoid Them encourages investors to refrain from certain negative actions, such as fighting the market, misunderstanding performance, and letting one's biases and emotions get in the way of investing success. Details the major mistakes made by professional and everyday investors Highlights the strategies and mindset necessary for navigating ever-changing variables and market dilemmas Includes useful investment techniques and discusses the importance of discipline in investment management A reliable resource for investors who want to make more informed choices, this book steers readers away from past investment errors and guides them in the right direction.

Everyone would like to get rich quick. Scams abound and the stock market can make or break the bank. However, there is a fortune to be made provided investors have a good game plan. Written by investment expert David Rye, this book shows investors how to avoid the common mistakes and pitfalls of investing in today's stock market. Serious and first time investors alike will benefit from the wealth of advice contained in these pages. The author provides step-by-step strategies readers can follow on a consistent basis to achieve maximum returns. Readers will learn how to set solid financial goals, draw up an investment plan and find success in the stock market. Packed with valuable insights on principle and practices, explanations of buzzwords and as well as definitions of investment terms, 25 Stupid Mistakes You Don't Want to Make in the Stock Market is essential reading for anyone investing in the stock market.

You know that you need to start investing, because you won’t be able to work your whole life. You don’t want to be the old employee working as a door greeter at your big chain department store. It will also be frustrating and very depressing if you are not financially aware of your future. Time seems to go faster the older you get and it’s never too late to get started. But getting started might be one of your problems. There is too much information available and too many scammers are trying to get you to invest in shady companies. You also don’t have the time to figure everything out by yourself, because it might seem too hard and complicated. However, getting the investing part of your life handled will improve your life tremendously. You will have peace of mind when you think about your future and you will also have the confidence to make sound investing decisions. You’ll also have the knowledge to talk intelligently with your peers and financial advisors, making it easy to spot when someone is giving you wrong information. I begin with the basics, like what are stocks and how the stock market works. I then transition into how you can make money in the stock market, give you some stocks you should have on your watch list and some of the lies and mistakes you will have to deal with as an investor. So, don’t wait and get this book now. It’s on sale at this moment, but the price will go up!

Stock Investing For Dummies, 3rd Edition includes information on stock investing in both bear and bull markets; unique investment segments; stock investing for different types of situations; and examples straight from the real world of stock investing as they have occurred in the past three years.