The most important rule of investing is probably not what you think. A friend of mine recently bought a $30 stock that suddenly fell to $20.   He invested quite a bit into this stock - so now he’s having trouble sleeping.   He wants to ‘ride it out’ until his stock returns to $30, but in the meantime, he’s sick over this! When he told me about it, I realized that his main trading focus in on finding an undervalued company that’s about to soar!  If he can find such a company, he’ll make a killing!  His emphasis is on MAKING money.   But that’s why most individual traders generally do poorly in the stock market. Most successful investors would agree that the #1 most important rule of investing is: “Don’t Lose Money. ” It’s critically important to understand that in order to recoup a loss, a stock will need to achieve a higher percentage gain than it lost.   Huh? Let’s go over a simple example to clarify what I’m talking about. Let’s say I bought a stock for $30 a share and it lost 33% of its value by falling to $20.   BUT, when that $20 stock achieves a 33% gain, its price will be at only $26. 60 - not $30 yet.   In order for that $20 stock to return to its previous price of $30, it will need to achieve a 50% gain!  A 33% loss requires a 50% gain to break even. How often does ANY stock quickly increase in value by 50%?  Not often. A 50% loss in value requires a 100% gain to break even.   Its value needs to DOUBLE!  You can grow old waiting for that to happen! Therefore, the #1 rule of investing is not about making money, it’s about cutting your losses short.   Big losses are very difficult to recoup.   We all know people who lost a huge chunk of their retirement accounts due to our crazy market.   If they were focused on the rule “Don’t lose money”, they’d still have their nest eggs intact. Always implement a simple strategy called a “stop-loss. “  A “stop-loss” is a trading feature that will sell your stock automatically and immediately if the stock value falls below a certain price.   It “stops your losses. “  If you buy a $30 stock, you might set a “stop-loss” point of $27. 50 so that if the stock suddenly falls in price, it will automatically sell your shares on the way down.   In our example of a $30 stock that fell to $20, you would have sold at $27. 50 and avoided a 33% loss - if you had implemented a “stop-loss” value. You can also use the “stop-loss” feature to lock in profits.   For example, let’s say you purchase a stock for $30 and set the “stop-loss” point at $27.   But as you hoped, the stock price goes up to $35.   That’s the time to move your “stop-loss” price up to $34.   This way if the value drops back to $30, you will have automatically sold at $34 - which locked in a 13% gain.   Learn more hear about creating wealth www. abundance-of-wealth. cup-of-life. com . The basic idea is to invest conservatively, limit your losses, and lock in your gains.