Anyone old enough to drive, who drives a car younger than they are, is used to seeing the words “OBJECTS ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR” in their passenger side mirror. The warning is there because while the mirrors allow you to see behind you, they distort what you are seeing. Ignoring the warning can have expensive consequences. Making present day investment decisions based on a distorted view of what is behind us can also have expensive consequences. It is very hard for even seasoned investors to watch their account balances drop like they have the past 16 months. Unfortunately, we cannot change the past. Is your portfolio down 15% to 45%, or more, from 16 months ago? Nothing you do today is going to change that. If you continue to look back at how much you have today compared to how much you had, it will likely distort the investment decisions you make in the future. 

Evaluate the options available to you today based on their value today. Consider the following criteria for your investment decisions:

• Time Frame- Number of years until the money is needed
• Inventory- List of investments you currently own
• Options- List of investments currently available
• Look Forward- Best returns likely for the next five years.

• When Half Right is Wrong
• Fox Guarding the Hen House
• Media Manipulation
• Why Would You do THAT???
• Stop Drop and Roll