In this way you avoid paying brokers' charges: frequent trading will soon erode your gains

In this way you avoid paying brokers' charges: frequent trading will soon erode your gains.If we publish your question, you'll win a Fool baseball cap. E-mail UKColumn fool or post to Motley Fool, 79 Baker Street, London W1M 1AJ.MY DUMBEST INVESTMENTI held Dixons for a long time. Initially I bought shares at 400p and watched them edge sideways for a few years. Last year I began to get worried that retailers were in for a tough time, so I decided to sell my shares at 600p. However, a year later Dixons shares now stand at 1,350p following the launch of the group's Freeserve internet access service.

I thought I had been Foolish, have I just been silly?JS, BrightonThe Fool responds: No, you have not been silly, just unlucky. Nobody could have predicted that Dixons was about to launch a service that would transforminternet use in the UK. You followed Foolish fundamentals when buying Dixons originallyand continued to do research.This left you feeling uneasy with your reasons for holding the shares in early 1998 and you sold accordingly. If you had held on to the shares it would only have been because of luck, not fundamental Foolish research.Send us your smartest or dumbest investment story. If we publish it, you'll get a free copy of the `Motley Fool UK Investment Guide'.

E- mail to UKColumn fool or snail mail to Motley Fool, 79 Baker Street, London W1M 1AJ.FOOLISH TRIVIAThe first five correct answers out of the hat win a super de luxe, black Fool baseball cap.What is the largest company listed on the London Stock Exchange?Answers by e-mail to: UKColumn fool or Motley Fool, 79 Baker Street, London W1.Last week we asked for the average return of the FT-SE 100 over the last 20 years In fact, the FT-SE 100 index was only founded in 1984. Returns since then have been an average 12.05 per cent a year. We apologise for this error and to those who entered the competition, we'll still send out five caps.. Wine is big, big business.