Do you have a nemesis stock? Don't laugh, just about every good trader/investor I know has one particular stock/index/commodity or what have you that just drives him or her nuts. I'm sure you do too.

Just about every time you try and trade it, the stock tosses it right back in my face and you're lucky to get out even. More times than not you take a small loss and then wonder "what was that all about??"

We don't have the scientific proof that tells us what that's all about. We don't have any deep insights for you on the topic. We just know that it happens and it's a real phenomenon.

The best thing to do when you come across a stock or ETF that just constantly confounds you is to ignore it. Don't play with it. Don't get your pride all up in a huff and demand to yourself that you defeat this thing, it will eat you alive. There are ten thousand publicly traded companies out there, why on earth would you constantly go to the one that gives you fits?

More times than not it's a pride thing. We can't accept being defeated. Some of us try and hone our skills by trading the biggest challenge to us. But in all honesty we'v

e done both of these things, letting our pride get in the way, and trying to challenge our own skills. We've lost on most accounts.

If you have a particular nemesis, avoid it. If you are constantly wrong about the direction of say the techs, then don't trade them. If you can never get a handle on oil, avoid it. There are too many places where you can consistently get the trends right, and following something that you know and are good at is many times more enjoyable than kicking your chair and throwing things at your monitor. Don't laugh, you've done it, we all have! Avoid the headaches, focus on the stuff that works for you. It's a whole lot less stressful.

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