Cramer's 'Mad Money' Recap: My Five Rules for Investing

Price Matters

Cramer said his next rule for investors is that price matters. He said even the companies you don't like at all can be bought, if the price gets low enough.

Cramer said he never advocates buying a stock where the fundamentals are deteriorating, but in between the best of breed companies and the worst of breed companies, there is a lot of room for opportunity if the price drops far enough.

Cramer said knowing the right price to buy a stock should be a sliding scale, based on how good the company is. The better the company, the more investors should be willing to pay for it.

Cramer said at their very worst, both Bank Of America (BAC)which he also owns for his Action Alerts PLUS portfolio and Sprint (S) were priced for bankruptcy.

That means that anyone who felt bankruptcy wasn't going to happen was able to get these companies at tremendous prices and has been rewarded handsomely.

Investors should also look for companies trying to raise capital through secondary offerings of stock, he said. Often these secondaries are priced below the true value of the company, allowing investors to buy in between 5% and 10% less than the previous day's closing price.

Cramer said price forces investors to make new judgements about bad merchandise, and investors need to be ready.

A Dose of Skepticism

When it comes to investing, don't assume everything you hear or read is the truth, said Cramer. Stocks themselves aren't misleading, he said, but the companies behind them can be.

Cramer told investors that there are strong and weak players in every sector. He said the weaker ones will almost always blame their problems on the entire industry. He also be skeptical when a weaker player said their shortcomings are due to an industrywide slowdown.

Cramer said investors can't assume every company in an industry is the same. He said some companies are better run than others, some sell overseas, others don't, the possibilities are endless. Cramer said investors need to look out for excuses.

True Upside Surprises

Cramer's next rule for investors was also about misdirection, only this time to the upside. He said that not all upside surprises are worth getting excited about. Cramer said that often what the media reports as "better-than-expected" results are not what the professionals on Wall Street were hoping for.

It can be confusing and frustrating for investors to see a company report what the media claims as an upside surprise, only to have shares plummet immediately after.

According to Cramer, there are two types of upside surprises: organic and manufactured. Organic surprises are ones stemming from higher-than-expected sales and improving fundamentals, while the latter comes from just a better bottom line, with no top-line growth.

In the case of a manufactured surprise, Cramer said many factors could be coming into play, such as cost cuts, changing tax rates, or stock buyback programs.

It's not a surprise if a company's "better" earnings come from fewer shares being on the market, he said. A true surprise, said Cramer, comes from better-than- expected sales and nothing else.

So-Called Expert Advice

Cramer's final rule for investors focused on TV pundits who criticize the market and tell you to avoid stocks at all costs. Cramer said investors should never assume these "experts" are any more honest than those hyping up stocks. Having a negative outlook, he said, does not equal credibility.

Cramer said those who criticize the markets may not be trying to help you. While it may be hard to believe, he said mutual and hedge fund managers may actually want the markets down to short stocks or buy in at better prices.

-- Written by Scott Rutt in Washington D.C.

To watch replays of Cramer's video segments, visit the Mad Money page on CNBC.

Want more Cramer? Check out Jim's rules and commandments for investing from his latest book by clicking here.

For more of Cramer's insights during the Lightning Round, click here.

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