Stock results 2009 and Lessons in 2010

Just to do a book closure of my stocks for last year.

Made SGD$19.6k, RM$10.3k and CPF$5.7k.

Cash about $23.9k but some of these is taxable especially for those REITs distribution.

I have been unemployed since early Aug, meaning about 5 months plus including Jan. Though I did work flexible for Jan.

I am feeling kinda sian. Last year was a good year indeed esp on the stock market front. The gains helped me make the decision to leave easier.

But cos stock prices have gone up quite a bit, so this year is not that easy to earn something of this figure. For 2010, I have made 4 trades, 2 buys, 2 sells in Jan, not all of them good decisions. But the least is that I didnt lose capital in overall terms. The cost is wasted opportunity and lower gains ba.

Then after the Capricon effect, aka since Last Thursday, the Stock market has been diahorring down. As I am still mainly invested, I am seeing gains evaporate. Man I need to learn to read the market and am starting again reading that Chinese wave theory book again... only at chpt 2.

This quick downturn in prices has prompted me to sell off as prices are going down.

WHY?

Cos if prices are headed down south, I wanna to have capital on hand to take advantage of the lower prices. Then I actually bought in some... another judgement mistake, cos yesterday bought, today fell lower. Must remember this lesson about buying in a falling market... Getting a bit rusty and reckless. Need to remember this.

So this waiting and seeing prices going down south, meant that I COULD have earned higher profits esp before prices started going down. It meant that IF I had made the decision to sell just a few days earlier, I could have made several hundreds of dollars extra, and not the paltry sums I am getting... Signz another lesson to learn and remember about being more vigilant about changes and also making a selling decision earlier.

Hope the job front can fare better, then I dont need to monitor so intensely and can afford to put into more middle to long term investment.