Finance Professor Mailbag: Skechers

Every week I bring to our readers some lesson about investing in Street University's Finance Professor Series. Also, I am an active writer for RealMoney Silver and answer questions every Monday on Stockpickr Answers.

I am grateful to my readers, who take the time to email me their questions and comments. I try to answer everyone personally, but I apologize if I've missed some along the way.

As I usually do every few months, I take some of those questions and share my answers with all my readers.

1. Very enlightening article re: regulations of market items and how to get around them. How can I get around the day trader rule? More seriously, why are the little guys like me being penalized just because the markets have fallen to point where our equity dropped below the magic 25K mark? I'm not a real day trader. I don't have the ability of time to devote to it as my career. But I could recover much faster if I would not have to hold my Baidu(BIDU) and other buys and sells overnight. --G.M.

The Finance Professor: When it comes to most of these rules they are intended to protect the individual from themselves. This rule is intended to prevent small investors from turning into day traders and wiping out all of their savings. The reasoning is that if you want to day trade, which is seen as gambling by the regulators, you ought to have significantly more capital. Furthermore, trying to recover from last years market crash by day trading your way there is not a good strategy. Try to pick some solid stocks for mid to long term appreciation and as always keep an eye on them so you don't get caught in the pure buy and hold trap. Finally - thank you to everyone for joining our cause and signing the petition to the SEC requesting reinstatement of the Uptick Rule.

2. Several readers asked me about investing in master limited partnerships.

TFP: I use MLPs for my LakeView Asset Management clientele who desire the higher cash flow associated with MLPs. These are not risk-free, and you must recognize the potential for capital appreciation or decline. My favorite name in this space right now is Kayne Energy Total Return Fund(KYE), a closed-end fund that invests in MLPs. The stated distribution yield on Kayne is 10.6%, but please note that the fund also sells at a 12.23% premium to net asset value.