The Eight Deadly Sins of Investing, Part 2

Editor's note: Arne Alsin's column runs exclusively on RealMoney.com; this is a special free look at his column. For a free trial subscription to RealMoney.com, click here. This article was published Jan. 17 on RealMoney.

This is Part 2 of Arne Alsin's two-part column on common investing sins. If you haven't already, please take a look at Part 1.

If you want to be a great investor, you have to avoid the big mistakes -- or sins -- that amateurs often make. Capital is too dear, too difficult to acquire in the first place to needlessly squander it in the markets because of avoidable mistakes.

Against a backdrop of sub-2% T-bills and certificates of deposit, and after two years of tough equity markets, it's hard to imagine a better time to get serious about investing. Many investors haven't made any money on a net basis for a few years running. ...