If you hope to have more money tomorrow than you have today, you've got to put a chunk of your assets into stocks. Sooner or later, a portfolio of stocks or stock mutual funds will turn out to be a lot more valuable than a portfolio of bonds or CDs or money-market funds.

I don't know anyone who said on their deathbed: 'Gee, I wish I'd spent more time at the office.'

Although it's easy to forget sometimes, a share is not a lottery ticket... it's part-ownership of a business.

More money is lost anticipating the changes in the overall stock market than any other way of investing.

There's no use diversifying into unknown companies just for the sake of diversity. A foolish diversity is the hobgoblin of small investors. That said, it isn't safe to own just one stock, because in spite of your best efforts, the one you choose might be the victim of unforeseen circumstances. In small portfolios, I'd be comfortable owning between three and ten stocks.

Everyone has the brain power to make money in stocks. Not everyone has the stomach.

Searching for companies is like looking for grubs under rocks: if you turn over 10 rocks you'll likely find one grub; if you turn over 20 rocks you'll find two.