The Natural-born Investor Is A Myth.

If You Can Find A Company That Can Get Away With Raising Prices Year After Year Without Losing Customers (an Addictive Product Such As Cigarettes Fills The Bill), You've Got A Terrific Investment.

If You're Lucky Enough To Have Been Rewarded In Life To The Degree That I Have, There Comes A Point At Which You Have To Decide Whether To Become A Slave To Your Net Worth By Devoting The Rest Of Your Life To Increasing It Or To Let What You've Accumulated Begin To Serve You.

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.

Behind Every Stock Is A Company. Find Out What It's Doing.

During The Gold Rush, Most Would-be Miners Lost Money, But People Who Sold Them Picks, Shovels, Tents And Blue-jeans (levi Strauss) Made A Nice Profit.