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Trial All Articles and Columns »  Please Don't Fall for This
Common Investor Trap  January 23, 2013 | About:   Those who make
their living from crystal balls must dine on broken glass.  It's
an interesting insight. It's just not true.  Most Wall Street
suits see no consequence to their bad calls. They keep appearing
on CNBC, and collecting paychecks from the firms that employ
them. If any broken glass is eaten, it's served to the ordinary
investors.  How nice it would be, then, to ignore the crystal
ball biz and shun all predictions entirely. But there's a
problem: Investing for the long term means taking on risks. That
means you have to get a handle on the dangers and opportunities
tomorrow could bring.  Some predictions are "good" in this
regard. They are useful or thought provoking. The vast majority
are bad.  So as you