Stock Under $10 with 50-100% upside potential - 14 Days FREE!

Commandment No. 5: Tips Are for Waiters

Editor's note: Jim Cramer's new book, Real Money: Sane Investing in an Insane World, is available in selected bookstores now. As a special bonus to RealMoney readers, we will be running Cramer's "Ten Commandments of Trading." For more about the new book and to order it, click here. To learn his "Twenty-Five Rules of Investing," click here. To read Cramer's first commandment, click here. To read Cramer's second commandment, click here. To read Cramer's third commandment, click here. To read Cramer's fourth commandment, click here. Today, we present Cramer's fifth commandment.


It's pithy and the interviewers love it, so whenever I'm asked about my new book, Jim Cramer's Real Money, the fifth of my Ten Commandments of Trading comes up:

Tips are for waiters.

"What does it mean, Jim?" they ask. Actually, it means that human nature and securities are a potent and devastating mix. People can whisper in your ear that Nokia (NOK) is going to buy Research In Motion (RIMM), and you believe, you genuinely believe, because you want the big score. You know that the best moves are takeovers and you are convinced that if you can catch one, it will make up for all the bum steers and bad bets you have made. Tips are winning lottery tickets in most people's eyes.

That's the reason I've had to default to a simple analogy, tips are for waiters, to remind myself how stupid tips really are. Does it occur to you, on hearing the tip, that if the person telling you that Nokia is going to buy RIM really knows that's going to happen, the person is an insider and is breaking the law, and you could get in trouble, too? Does it occur to you that if the person isn't an insider, he doesn't know? There simply is no way a tip like that can work. Leave it for the waiter.

It gets more sinister. Most rumors start for a reason: Someone's in a bad position. Instead of thinking, "Sure, Cisco (CSCO) is going to buy Nortel (NT)," after you are given that particular tip, you should be thinking "Man, is this guy wearing a ton of Nortel and what won't he do to get rid of it."

I know that cynicism isn't a particularly positive attribute, but when it comes to tips, it sure is. Leave them for the waiter.

James J. Cramer is a director and co-founder of TheStreet.com. He contributes daily market commentary for TheStreet.com's sites and serves as an adviser to the company's CEO. Outside contributing columnists for TheStreet.com and RealMoney.com, including Cramer, may, from time to time, write about stocks in which they have a position. In such cases, appropriate disclosure is made. To see his personal portfolio and find out what trades Cramer will make before he makes them, sign up for Action Alerts PLUS by clicking here. While he cannot provide personalized investment advice or recommendations, he invites you to send comments on his column to jjcletters@thestreet.com. Listen to Cramer's RealMoney Radio show on your computer; just click here. Watch Cramer on "Mad Money" at 6 p.m. ET weeknights on CNBC. Click here to order Cramer's latest book, "Real Money: Sane Investing in an Insane World," click here to get his second book, "You Got Screwed!" and click here to order Cramer's autobiography, "Confessions of a Street Addict."

Select the service that is right for you!

COMPARE ALL SERVICES
Action Alerts PLUS
TRY IT FREE

Jim Cramer and Stephanie Link actively manage a real portfolio and reveal their money management tactics while giving advanced notice before every trade.

Product Features:
  • $2.5+ million portfolio
  • Large-cap and dividend focus
  • Intraday trade alerts from Cramer
  • Weekly roundups
Dividend Stock Advisor
TRY IT FREE
New! $49.95/yr

Jim Cramer's protege, David Peltier, identifies the best of breed dividend stocks that will pay a reliable AND significant income stream.

Product Features:
  • Diversified model portfolio of dividend stocks
  • Alerts when market news affect the portfolio
  • Bi-weekly updates with exact steps to take - BUY, HOLD, SELL
Stocks Under $10
TRY IT FREE

David Peltier, uncovers low dollar stocks with extraordinary upside potential that are flying under Wall Street's radar.

Product Features:
  • Model portfolio
  • Stocks trading below $10
  • Intraday trade alerts
  • Weekly roundups
Real Money
TRY IT FREE

24/7 market commentary from Jim Cramer and 20+ veteran Wall Street gurus. Get access to the latest trading ideas on stocks, options, and ETFs as well as a real-time forum to see the pros exchanging their investment ideas.

Product Features:
  • Jim Cramer + 20 Wall Street pros
  • Intraday commentary & news
  • Real-time trading forum
  • Actionable trade ideas
Real Money Pro
TRY IT FREE

All of Real Money, plus 15 more of Wall Street's sharpest minds delivering actionable trading ideas, a comprehensive look at the market, and fundamental and technical analysis.

Product Features:
  • Real Money + Doug Kass + 15 more Wall Street Pros
  • Intraday commentary & news
  • Ultra-actionable trading ideas
Options Profits
TRY IT FREE

Our options trading pros provide daily market commentary and over 100 monthly option trading ideas and strategies to help you become a well-seasoned trader.

Product Features:
  • 100+ monthly options trading ideas
  • Actionable options commentary & news
  • Real-time trading community
  • Options TV
To begin commenting right away, you can log in below using your Disqus, Facebook, Twitter, OpenID or Yahoo login credentials. Alternatively, you can post a comment as a "guest" just by entering an email address. Your use of the commenting tool is subject to multiple terms of service/use and privacy policies - see here for more details.
DOW 15,354.40 121.18 0.80%
NASDAQ 3,498.97 33.73 0.97%
S&P 500 1,667.47 17.00 1.03%
US 10 Yr 1.949% +0.084

Brokerage Partners

Advertising Partners
Special Features

Free Newsletters from TheStreet

After the Bell

Before the Bell

Booyah! Newsletter

Midday Bell

TheStreet Top 10 Stories

Winners & Losers

We respect your privacy. Manage Newsletters
Top Rated Stocks Top Rated Funds Top Rated ETFs