| Due Date | Stock | What to Verify | Status |
|---|
| Date | Action | Stock | Shares | Price | Reason |
|---|
| Date | Stock | News / Signal | Link |
|---|
Buffett said: imagine you have a punch card with 20 slots. Every investment decision uses one slot. Once they're gone, you can't make any more investments.
Once punched, this hole is permanent — even if you exit the position later, the hole is spent.
Before committing: score the business — Survival 60 + Growth 10 + Culture 10 + Commitment 10 + Resources 10 — 95+ before you stake your claim.
Step 1: Breathe. Return to the business. Buying stock is buying a business — you don't need to watch the market at all. Did your company sell fewer products today? No? Then the price dropped, not the business. Fear is yours alone to handle — the only antidote is going back to fundamentals.
Step 2: Re-read your qualitative assessment and buy thesis. They're right here on the card: did the industry, company, or product fundamentals change? Did any logic-breaker actually trigger? Use financial reports and facts as evidence — never use price as evidence. If the thesis is intact, today's drop is just Mr. Market offering a lower price — keep digging into the business.
Step 3: Identify the signal level. Down 30% from peak = "Dim" — consider a small add with spare cash or dividends. Down 50% from peak = "Dark" — if thesis is intact, deploy all available spare cash with conviction. Two conditions always apply: thesis unchanged, zero borrowing. If either fails, go back to Step 1.
Hold and collect. The business is still earning, still paying dividends — you've lost nothing.