Though money is not everything it is an important ( in fact very important) part of our life. That is why actually we work. Investment for future thus should be carefully planned. Though I am no expert, here are some things which I have learnt and which we should always keep in mind while investing.
1. There are no free lunches.
2.Start investing early.
3.If money available, don't take credit.
4.If a scheme sounds to good to be true, more often than not, you should avoid it.
5.The older you are, the lower should be your exposure to high risk investments.
6.Judge an investment by it's real rate of return (i.e nominal rate-Inflation). Thus while investing, never lose sight of inflation.
7.Don't keep all your eggs in one basket. Always diversify your investments.
8.Gold is a good hedge against inflation.
9.In equities, guaranteed returns is a lie.
10.Sell when market flares up irrationally.
11.Never hesitate to sell when you stock has reached your price target.
12.Sometimes, the best trade is no trade at all.
13.The time to get interested in stock market is when no one else is.
14.Money is a good servant but a bad master.
And finally
15. Your profit is someone's loss.
