What is the first best investment rule?

Asked by: Meaghan Heller  |  Last update: June 7, 2025
Score: 4.2/5 (28 votes)

Rule 1: Never Lose Money This might seem like a no-brainer because what investor sets out with the intention of losing their hard-earned cash? But, in fact, events can transpire that can cause an investor to forget this rule.

What is the #1 rule of investing?

Rule No.

1 is never lose money.

What is the first thing a good investment should do?

The first step to successful investing is figuring out your goals and risk tolerance – either on your own or with the help of a financial professional.

What is the 10/5/3 rule for investment?

The 10,5,3 rule will assist you in determining your investment's average rate of return. Though mutual funds offer no guarantees, according to this law, long-term equity investments should yield 10% returns, whereas debt instruments should yield 5%. And the average rate of return on savings bank accounts is around 3%.

What is Warren Buffett's number one rule?

Rule 1: Never lose money.

By following this rule, he has been able to minimize his losses and maximize his returns over time. He emphasizes this so much that he often says, “Rule number 2 is never forget rule number 1.”

Warren Buffett | How To Invest For Beginners: 3 Simple Rules

36 related questions found

What is Warren Buffett's golden rule?

Many novice investors lose money chasing big returns. And that's why Buffett's first rule of investing is “don't lose money”. The thing is, if an investors makes a poor investment decision and the value of that asset — stock — goes down 50%, the investment has to go 100% up to get back to where it started.

What is Warren Buffett's 90/10 rule?

The 90/10 rule in investing is a comment made by Warren Buffett regarding asset allocation. The rule stipulates investing 90% of one's investment capital toward low-cost stock-based index funds and the remainder 10% to short-term government bonds.

What is the simplest investment rule?

The 90/10 investment rule is a rule of thumb for setting up your investment portfolio. The rule is relatively simple, advocating for splitting your portfolio, placing 90% of your assets into a low-cost S&P 500 index fund and the remaining 10% into short-term government bonds.

What are the golden rules of investment?

Before you invest, take time to do some research of your own – and never invest in a rush or in anything you don't fully understand. Some investments are professionally managed and can help you to align your long-term investment goals.

What is the investor 1% rule?

What is the 1% rule in relation to the property's purchase price? The 1% rule states that a rental property's income should be at least 1% of the property's purchase price. For example, if a rental property is purchased for $200,000, the monthly rental income should be at least $2,000.

How much money do I need to invest to make $3,000 a month?

$3,000 X 12 months = $36,000 per year. $36,000 / 6% dividend yield = $600,000. On the other hand, if you're more risk-averse and prefer a portfolio yielding 2%, you'd need to invest $1.8 million to reach the $3,000 per month target: $3,000 X 12 months = $36,000 per year.

What is the smartest thing to invest in right now?

  1. 5 best investments right now. Here are five of the best investments right now, generally ordered from lowest risk to highest. ...
  2. High-yield savings accounts. Yes, the Federal Reserve has been cutting interest rates and is likely to continue to do so in 2025. ...
  3. Certificates of deposit. ...
  4. Bonds. ...
  5. Mutual funds and index funds. ...
  6. Stocks.

What is the safest investment with the highest return?

Here are some ways investors can take less risk but still generate a decent return:
  • High-yield savings accounts.
  • Money market funds.
  • Certificates of deposit (CDs).
  • Corporate bonds.
  • Treasurys.
  • Dividend stocks.
  • Preferred shares.

What are Warren Buffett's 5 rules of investing?

  • Rule 1: Never Lose Money.
  • Rule 2: Never Forget Rule No. ...
  • Rule 3: Pick Businesses, Not Stocks.
  • Rule 4: A Wonderful Company at a Fair Price vs. ...
  • Rule 5: Our Favorite Holding Period Is Forever.
  • Rule 6: Be Willing to Be Different.
  • Rule 7: Avoid Credit Card Debt.
  • Rule 8: Invest in What You Understand.

What is the golden rule of money?

1. Spend less than you make. This may seem obvious, and boring, but spending less than you make is by far the biggest key to financial success. If you struggle with spending, focus on this one rule until you're at a point where you have positive cash flow at the end of the month.

What is the 4 3 2 1 rule in real estate?

Analyzing the 4-3-2-1 Rule in Real Estate

This rule outlines the ideal financial outcomes for a rental property. It suggests that for every rental property, investors should aim for a minimum of 4 properties to achieve financial stability, 3 of those properties should be debt-free, generating consistent income.

What is the 1 rule in investing?

For a potential investment to pass the 1% rule, its monthly rent must equal at least 1% of the purchase price. If you want to buy an investment property, the 1% rule can be a helpful tool for finding the right property to achieve your investment goals.

What is Warren Buffett's investment strategy?

Buffett follows the Benjamin Graham school of value investing which looks for securities with prices that are unjustifiably low based on their intrinsic worth. Buffett looks at companies as a whole rather than focusing on the supply-and-demand intricacies of the stock market.

What is the 7% loss rule?

Always sell a stock it if falls 7%-8% below what you paid for it. This basic principle helps you always cap your potential downside. If you're following rules for how to buy stocks and a stock you own drops 7% to 8% from what you paid for it, something is wrong.

What is the rule #1 in investing according to Warren Buffett?

Warren Buffett, one of the world's most successful investors, has shared plenty of advice over his long career. But one piece of advice stands out as his top rule: “The first rule of investment is don't lose money.” And if you ask about the second rule?

What is the optimal investment rule?

The optimal investment rule satisfies a trade-off between a larger versus a later net benefit; we show that this trade-off is closely analogous to the standard trade-off for the pricing decision of a firm that faces a downward sloping demand curve.

How many years does it take to double your money at 5%?

5% Rate of Return: If you're anticipating an average return of 5% on an investment, you'd divide this return into 72. This means, at a 5% rate of return, your investment would roughly double in 14.4 years.

What retirement accounts don t lose money?

Fixed annuities are considered low-risk because they have a guaranteed minimum crediting rate for the term you select. That means that, as long as you keep your money in the account for the entire term, you know exactly what your return will be — you won't lose money.

What is the 10 5 3 rule of investment?

The 10,5,3 rule gives a simple guideline for investors. It suggests expecting around 10% returns from long-term equity investments, 5% from debt instruments, and 3% from savings bank accounts.

What did Warren Buffett tell his wife to invest in?

Warren Buffett has said that 90 percent of the money he leaves to his wife should be invested in stocks, with just 10 percent in cash. Does that work for non-billionaires? As far as asset allocation advice goes, 90 percent in stocks sounds pretty aggressive.