3.5 Reasons To Take Your Profit And Run

An investment has made you a pile of cash and you can't even remember why you bought it in the first place. You're wondering what to do, going back and forth between selling it and holding on to it.Sell it pal, because you didn't deserve all that money. You can't flash a smile like Cam Newton.You bought Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) for an adjusted price of $7 and change in 1998 just so the gods could laugh at my feigned superiority.That's the first reason to sell. Never be ashamed of being lucky when you know you're not that smart.Reason number two is because the shares have moved against you and you may not believe in a divine plan but you've drawn a line at a number and it has been crossed.What's worse than not getting out of a profitable trade and watching it sink into red? Not too many things. Eventually, doubling-down is one. Cancer is another.There's not going to be a Total (NYSE: TOT) around to save your Sunpower (NASDAQ: SPWRA).If you told yourself you were going to sell, then sell. There's enough lying and cheating in the world without you trying to deceive yourself.Lying brings us to the third reason to take your profit and scoot. If shaking hands with the money manager in control of your wealth gives you the willies, then take your money to someone you can trust. A friend of mine met Mr. Bernie Madoff but couldn't hand over any of his money because the little voice in his head told him the man was scum. As many seasoned investors will tell you, the inner voice has a lot to say. Sadly, too few take the time to listen.What is the point-fifth reason? The truth is, I'm tired of everyone using lists of three and five because of SEO (pardon me while I say Kate Middleton). Since I'm old and old people love to listen to themselves talk, point-five will be a nugget of advice you shouldn't listen to because it is on the Internet.If you are unhappy with your job, then quit. Give a wave and a "toodle-oo" and walk out the door. Life really is that short.