Paul Merriman once thought he knew the most important things about investing. But a few weeks in bed taught him some surprising lessons, which he shares in this article.

In the many years that I have been writing articles for to educate investors, I have not used either my newsletter or this web site to discuss my personal life. This article is an exception. I don’t presume that you will have any interest in my recent foot surgery. But maybe you will.

This blasted operation kept me in bed for several weeks this fall. Normally, when I have a few weeks off, I spend that time with my family or working on a project. I would hardly look forward to spending it watching television.

However, for the first time in my life I had the opportunity to watch CNBC and other financial TV shows for as many as five hours a day. I had no idea what I had been missing. I’d like to share some of the very valuable lessons I learned.

I knew there was some long term risk to Social Security as we know it today. What I didn't realize is that if you are concerned about the viability of Social Security, the answer is to learn how to trade the market.

I have always had great sympathy for single mothers who must balance their work with raising a family. I have never figured out how they have any time for themselves. But now I know what they should do. According to several CNBC programs I watched, trading the market is a great way for a single mother to make a living and be home with her children. Why had this never occurred to me on my own?

In a survey taken by AXA Financial, 64 percent of American workers expect  their life savings to be totally depleted during retirement, leaving nothing for their heirs. I learned that there is an obvious solution to this. According to the experts, American workers need to learn how to trade the market.

It gets better. According to the infomercials I watched, professionals are eagerly waiting to teach me how to trade the market – for free! What saddens me about this garbage is that most of the people who take the bait will be the very people who can least afford it.

One infomercial featured an interview with an elderly couple who reported they are having a great time traveling throughout the country attending trading workshops. They love the fact that they can do their trading anywhere they go. 

Now let me tell you the rest of that wonderful story, which is true. You see, I know this couple, and yes they are having a great time traveling and trading. But the infomercial conveniently left out a few things that seem relevant to me.

This couple has many times more money than they will ever need. They can travel as much as they want, and it won’t make the slightest difference in their lifestyle whether they make money or lose money on their trading. From my conversations with this lovely couple, I know that they are trading less than 10 percent of their stock portfolio, a portfolio that is small compared with their real estate holdings.

For these people, trading is a hobby, a form of entertainment. Making or losing money is only incidental. If you are like this couple and have money to burn and if you love to travel and trade the market wherever you go, then I'm not worried about you.

Otherwise, I hope you’ll keep reading our articles to learn what you need to know.