Warren Buffet had once said that Benjamin Graham's book ‘The Intelligent Investor’ is the best book ever written on investing. In my opinion, the most important quote from this book is "The essence of portfolio management is the management of risks, not the management of returns." He closes that thought by saying, "All good portfolio management begins, and ends, with this premise."

To put it in layman terms, he said, "If you manage the downside in a portfolio, and avoid the big loss, the upside takes care of itself!"

This is why investors need a good financial advisor, or portfolio manager, to manage the risk, re-balance portfolios, trim investment positions from time to time, hedge the downside at times, raise cash when appropriate, and hold investors' hands through a bottoming process.

Below are some rules every trader needs to keep in mind:

1. Nothing new ever occurs in the business of speculating or investing in securities and commodities.

2. Money cannot consistently be made trading every day or every week during the year.

3. Don't trust your own opinion and back your judgment until the action of the market itself confirms your opinion.

4. Markets are never wrong - opinions often are.

5. The real money made in speculating has been in commitments showing in profit right from the start.

6. At long as a stock is acting right, and the market is right, do not be in a hurry to take profits.

7. One should never permit speculative ventures to run into investments.

8. The money lost by speculation alone is small compared with the gigantic sums lost by so-called investors who have let their investments ride.

9. Never buy a stock because it has had a big decline from its previous high.

10. Never sell a stock because it seems high-priced.

11. I become a buyer as soon as a stock makes a new high on its movement after having had a normal reaction.

12. Never average losses.

13. The human side of every person is the greatest enemy of the average investor or speculator.

14. Wishful thinking must be banished.

15. Big movements take time to develop.

16. It is not good to be too curious about all the reasons behind price movements.

17. It is much easier to watch a few than many.

18. If you cannot make money out of the leading active issues, you are not going to make money out of the stock market as a whole.

19. The leaders of today may not be the leaders of two years from now.

20. Do not become completely bearish or bullish on the whole market because one stock in some particular group has plainly reversed its course from the general trend.

21. Few people ever make money on tips. Beware of inside information. If there was easy money lying around, no one would be forcing it into your pocket.

This article was issued by Kristian Camenzuli, investment manager at Calamatta Cuschieri. For more information visit, www.cc.com.mt. The information, view and opinions provided in this article are being provided solely for educational and informational purposes and should not be construed as investment advice, advice concerning particular investments or investment decisions, or tax or legal advice.

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