Here are a few of these fright-inducing behaviors you'll want to avoid:

• Jumping out of the market during difficult times - By almost any measure, 2006 has been a rough year. We've seen (really) high gas prices, turmoil in the Middle East and nuclear posturing from North Korea.. Given all these gloomy scenarios, you might think that now is not a good time to invest, and that you'd be better off heading to the investment "sidelines." But you'd be wrong. As bad as this year seems, we've had plenty of other rocky periods in our history - and smart, patient investors rode out those times, stayed in the market, and, in most cases, ended up doing quite well. As an investor, never forget that the financial markets are resilient and capable of absorbing all types of bad news without capsizing. And even if the market does slump, you'll want to stay invested, because when it does recover, as it always has, the biggest gains tend to come early in the rally.

• Failing to take full advantage of 401(k) - If you have a 401(k) plan at work, consider yourself fortunate: Your plan offers tax-deferred earnings growth and the ability to make pre-tax contributions. Yet, about 30 percent of eligible employees don't even participate in their 401(k) plan, according to Hewitt Associates, a consulting firm. Of those that do take part in their plan, Hewitt reports that almost 41 percent of their 401(k) holdings were in company stock - much too high a figure. If you have access to a 401(k) plan, contribute as much as you can afford, and spread your dollars around among the available investment options.
• Not "maxing out" on IRA - Both the traditional and Roth IRAs offer tax advantages, and can be funded with money placed in virtually any type of investment: stocks, bonds, government securities, etc. Yet, many people don't "max out" on their IRA. Try to fully fund your IRA as early in the year as possible, to give your money more time to grow. But if you can't do that, at least put away enough each month so that you are taking full advantage of this excellent retirement savings vehicle.
• Chasing after "hot" stock tips - You can get hot stock tips anywhere: television, the Internet, magazines, your neighbor - the list is almost endless. The trouble with a hot tip is that by the time you invest in the stock, it may already be cooling off - if it ever truly was hot. Furthermore, a hot tip may not be of much value if the stock is not suitable for your individual needs.

If you can avoid these and other scary investment moves, you can make progress toward your long-term goals - and that's not a frightful prospect at all.

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