Turbulent Markets

Anyone with even the slightest interest in the markets is now fully aware of the recent turbulence in the both the Canadian and American markets. Both the housing and financial markets have been in a virtual free fall for most of 2008. The analysts and newscasts have also switched from optimistic to doom and gloom. Consumer confidence is falling and the general feeling about the markets and housing is now very negative. On top of all that it looks like inflation along with interest rates may start to rise. All in all it’s not really a pretty picture. Given the dismal outlook on the economy what’s an investor to do? That's a great question that I certainly don’t have the answer to so...I’ll defer to my response to an investor who’s been here before.

WARREN BUFFET

“We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful.”

“Our favourite holding period is forever.”

“Only buy something that you'd be perfectly happy to hold if the market shut down for 10 years”

“Look at market fluctuations as your friend rather than your enemy; profit from folly rather than participate in it.”

“Unless you can watch your stock holding decline by 50% without becoming panic-stricken, you should not be in the stock market”

“A public-opinion poll is no substitute for thought.”

“Lethargy, bordering on sloth should remain the cornerstone of an investment style.”

Keeping those quotes in mind tomorrow I'll be posting about a name that I'm planning to add to my portfolio.