Humberto Cruz is a national business writer whose columns appear regularly in the Wisconsin State Journal Business Section. I read his articles every chance I get because his writing style is very practical and down-to-earth. He also chooses topics that are relevant and timely. But the main reason I enjoy reading his columns is that I agree with most everything he says.

One of his recent columns concerned investment strategies. He stated very clearly that he does not give investment advice. Each individual needs to look at their own situation and decide on appropriate investment strategies. He mentioned the most common, and very basic, strategy of diversification. But he then went on to explain that people need to look at their own past history and try to learn from their mistakes.

Some people invested heavily in tech stocks. They are now sorry they did this. His suggestion is to try and learn from these mistakes. Try to establish a sensible, long-term strategy and then stick to it even when your friends and neighbors are telling you otherwise.

I am not a financial advisor. I don't have any answers as to where and how you should invest your money. What I have learned over the years is that the people who do well follow two basic rules. One is diversification. The other is investing on a regular basis, using dollar cost averaging. Many people are overly concerned about where to put their money and end up doing nothing. In order to accumulate a large retirement account, you need to invest regularly using dollar cost averaging. Regularly can mean small amounts, but the key is to do it on a regular basis.

If you have questions about dollar cost averaging, I am happy to talk with you about it. Please call me at 608-250-9926 or email me at charlie@libertyprofessionalservices.com.