In his weekly commentary, SMU Adjunct Faculty Larry Haverkamp considered what might maximise one’s likelihood of winning in investments. Firstly, the wealthy are known to actively seek out risk rather than to avoid it. Next, famous Wharton Business school economist Jeremy Siegel had found that the longer one holds a risky investment, the more certain it is to earn more than a safe investment. Stocks rose to 70 per cent when held for 5 years, 80 per cent for 10 years, 90 per cent for 20 years, and 99.5 per cent for 30 years. Lastly, daily price fluctuations and the chance of a total wipeout can be readily reduced through diversification. Bonds in particular provide the best diversification because they move opposite stocks, property and commodities.