Never call your broker on Monday. Out of courtesy and common sense, wait until Tuesday. A good broker is focused on the opening of the market - at home and around the world - and on getting back into a business frame of mind after the weekend.

Bulls make money and bears make money, but pigs seldom do. When a stock or mutual fund is up 30%, sell one-quarter of your position.

The higher the yield, the higher the risk. A high yield is designed to attract investors. An outrageously high yield attracts fools.

Bet on black. Buy low-debt or no-debt companies. When the economy is in trouble, these companies usually have enough cash on hand to stay out of trouble. And they seldom need to borrow when interest rates are high.

When a corporation goes into the marketplace to buy back its own stock, it means management thinks the stock is undervalued. This is a smart time to buy.

Always leave a sinking ship. There's no virtue in hanging on to losers. And stocks don't have feelings.

Invest less at the end of the month. Brokers tend to push stocks at the end of the month in an effort to match or surpass their previous month's sales.