Bernie Madoff's Problems, Reflection and Perspective

As I read about Bernard Madoff’s problems, I reflected on my own response to the challenging economic conditions. In case you have not read about it, this link will fill you in Madoff’s woes.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28183375/

My main business is to run a private, closed, limited partnership fund with a 3-year lockout period. I vet my investors carefully:

• I look for investors with similar attitudes to risk and
• Who are investing risk capital and
• Who have realistic expectations about the returns I can deliver.
• I won’t accept US citizens or US based entities.
• I won’t accept investors who are unsure if the investment is right for them.

In short, I am building a family of investors who’ll share both good and bad times with me. I recognize that given my approach, and given where I am living, I am unlikely to manage billions of dollars.

But that is OK - I am very clear about the outcomes I want and how I’ll go about achieving them. My aim is to help like-valued investors achieve their financial goals.

In my view, our success is dependent on having a clear vision of what success means to us. This is true of all endeavours and is especially true of success in the markets. This is why the Habits of Success seminar is a relatively inexpensive 2-day seminar that focuses on the ’soft’ elements of trading success. I believe that the achievement of winning psychology, a risk management plan and a written trading strategy is founded on a clear idea of the success that is founded on the awareness of our values and is in alignment with those values.

In our quest for market success, we sometimes forget the importance of our values to the achievement of our dreams.a