Sir John Marks Templeton, the great American-born British stock investor and a mutual fund pioneer was a believer in fundamental analysis and followed the “buy when there’s blood in the streets” philosophy.  He published the following 16 Rules For Investment Success in World Monitor: The Christian Science Monitor Monthly in 1993.  Though published many years ago, these core investment philosophies are still relevant today for any investor.

1. Invest For Maximum Total Real Return
2. Invest—Don’t Trade Or Speculate
3. Remain Flexible And Open-Minded About Types Of Investment
4. Buy Low
5. When Buying Stocks, Search For Bargains Among Quality Stocks
6. Buy Value, Not Market Trends Or The Economic Outlook
7. Diversify. In Stocks And Bonds, As In Much Else, There Is Safety In Numbers
8. Do Your Homework Or Hire Wise Experts To Help You
9. Aggressively Monitor Your Investments
10. Don’t Panic
11. Learn From Your Mistakes
12. Begin With A Prayer
13. Outperforming The Market Is A Difficult Task
14. An Investor Who Has All The Answers Doesn’t Even Understand All The Questions
15. There’s No Free Lunch
16. Do not be fearful or negative too often

Source: World Monitor:The Christian Science Monitor Monthly, 1993