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Road Rules
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Investing can be confusing. Luckily, Cramer has mapped out some road rules for all you Home Gamers trying to navigate the jungle that is Wall Street. Think of it as "Mad Money 101" –- some fundamental advice to keep in mind as you play the market. Whether you're a first time investor or a seasoned financier, it's always good to remember the basics.
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High growth does not make a stock bulletproof, Cramer said during Monday’s Mad Money.

He learned that lesson the hard way. Back on Nov. 8, Cramer gave Homegamers a basket of five “indestructible” stocks that were supposed to grow regardless of the market. He likened them to a bulletproof vest, which protects as much of the body -- in this case, your portfolio -- as possible. These stocks didn't equal total protection, because in this market there's no such thing, but they were a good defense.

Unfortunately, though, Cramer got them wrong. His not-so-indestructible picks are down about 4%, while the S&P 500 is down 3% over the same period.

Foster Wheeler [FWLT  Loading...      ()   ] and Freeport-McMoRan [FCX  Loading...      ()   ], the companies with the biggest growth, are down the most, 15% and 20%, respectively. Medco Health Solutions [MHS  Loading...      ()   ], Altria [MO  Loading...      ()   ] are down a modest 0.5% and 1.8%, respectively. Transocean [RIG  Loading...      ()   ] is actually up 1.9%. It’s these dependable little gains that investors want in this environment, Cramer said.

When the same news – an oil rally, a decline in the financials – can both spike and sink the market, consistency matters. Cramer’s making consistency the watchword until investors start seeing a better tape.


Jim's charitable trust owns Altria, Freeport-McMoRan and Transocean.

Questions for Cramer?

Questions, comments, suggestions for the Mad Money website?


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