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The 3 Big Rules of Investing

Listen to Best in Wealth Podcast Episode 249

I believe there are three rules that every family steward should follow when it comes to investing. In theory, these rules are “easy” to follow—but living by them is not. Secondly, these rules will not surprise you. That does not make them any less important. So in this episode of Best in Wealth, I will share what each rule is and you will discover why you have to follow them. 

Outline of This Episode

  • [1:06] The 3 rules for dating my daughters
  • [5:31] Rule #1: Do NOT try to time the market 
  • [11:12] Rule #2: Do NOT focus on the headlines
  • [13:53] Rule #3: Do NOT chase past performance

Rule #1: Do NOT try to time the market

Whether it is a bad day in the stock market or upcoming elections, it can be easy to let your emotions get to you and think, “Maybe I should get out of the market right now.” It is easy to sell everything and get your money out. 

However, it is far harder to decide when to put the money back in. No one ever thinks about the second half of the equation. Do you have an investing philosophy? What is your system? When will you get your money back in the market? 

The S&P 500 has been rolling. It was up 15% last quarter. Small Value was negative for the year. Wouldn’t it be tempting to take the money from your small value and move it into the S&P 500? But Small Value has done far better this quarter. You would have lost out on that money.

John Bogle—The Founder of Vanguard—spent over 70 years on Wall Street. He is famously known for saying, “I’ve never found anyone who can successfully time the market.” There is a reason for that.

Rule #2: Do NOT focus on the headlines

It is too easy to become enamored with popular stocks that get media attention. For example, the Magnificent Seven has risen in popularity (Google, Apple, Facebook, etc.) for the last 10 years. They have done amazingly well in 2023 and 2024. 

However, once companies hit the “top 10,” their returns tend to decline. Just because you read a headline about a company does not mean it will perform better. What you have read about is already priced into the market. You must separate what you are seeing on the news from your investment. 

Rule #3: Do NOT chase past performance

You might be inclined to choose investments based on past returns. You expect top-ranked funds to continue to deliver their best performance. We see this time and time again with new investors. They do not know where to start. The only information they have in front of them is past performance. So they choose what has had the best performance recently. 

But research shows that most funds that are ranked in the top 25% do not remain in the top 25% over the next five years. Only about 1-in-5 mutual funds stayed in the top-performing group. The lesson? A fund’s past performance offers limited insight into its future returns. 

As family stewards, how do we shift our focus? What do we want to do instead? Listen to hear my thoughts.

Connect With Scott Wellens

Podcast Disclaimer:

The Best In Wealth Podcast is hosted by Scott Wellens. Scott Wellens is the principal at Fortress Planning Group. Fortress Planning Group is a registered investment advisory firm regulated by the Securities Act of Wisconsin in accordance and compliance with securities laws and regulations. Fortress Planning Group does not render or offer to render personalized investment or tax advice through the Best In Wealth Podcast. The information provided is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, investment or legal advice.