Giving Thanks and Looking Ahead

It's been a tough year. With the events of Sept. 11, a weak economy, job losses and another down year for stocks, it's understandable to be unhappy. Even people I know who have done tremendously well this year on investments don't seem to be having any fun.

Yet as Thanksgiving approaches, everyone should be able to find at least something to be thankful for, even if it's simply being alive. If you're an investor, it probably means you're still in the game. After two difficult years, that's something to be thankful for.

If you've been able to stay afloat, you probably have a disciplined approach to investing with an eye to the future, much like many successful institutional investors. Pros usually return from the Thanksgiving respite focused on identifying next year's major trends and trying to align their portfolios to capitalize on them. ...