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Q: I’ve got some stinkers in my stock portfolio, but I’m waiting for them to recover before I sell so that I can get back some of my lost money. Is this a reasonable strategy?

A: Not really. Imagine that your shares of Alphabet Soup Co. (ticker: ABCDE) are underwater by $1,000 and that you’ve looked at a bunch of companies recently and think that five of them have good potential to appreciate. If you sell your Alphabet Soup shares for a loss and move what’s left into one of those five companies, you’re more likely to earn that $1,000 back — and more. Why try to earn a certain amount in a stock you’ve lost faith in when you can more reliably earn that same amount or more somewhere else? Keep your money invested in your best ideas.
Still, hanging on to a stinker can be smart if the company merely hit a temporary snag and your research suggests that it still has strong prospects.

Q: Where online can I look up the value of homes in my neighborhood so I can sell my house on my own?

A: Zillow.com and Trulia.com are two sources of information, but be careful. Online data providers can be helpful, but their data isn’t always 100 percent accurate. That’s a big deal if you’re relying on it to price your home or make a bid. There are more online tools than ever to help people who are buying or selling a home, but it’s often smart to use an experienced real estate agent, who might help you land a better price. Learn more at Realtor.com and www.fool.com/homecenter.