hey George,
Its all personal intrepretation...
I remember a few years ago talking to grandad about my winners and he told me that those profits are not real until they are taken..."until that money is in your hot little hand", he told me....
I did not take it to heart at the time... I was locked up in my own little world of thought... but I did remember what he said, and it all started to make sense as the positions I held started to fall after I sold them....

I was so caught up in how much paper profit I made, that it almost blurred my judgement on sell signals...

At that time I banked on profits that had not yet being taken...
In the end I did sell the shares, and then the stocks tumbled...
at that point I realised for the given level of risk that I take that yes I was foolish to believe that profits and losses are real before they are sold...
so in my experience, I wont bank profits or losses until positions are sold...
im weary after my rather lucky experiences with AED and NWE...and MEO...and others...

Now it would be taking it one step further to bank on returns not yet gained...

Its all about the individual... If you pursue a low risk portfolio strategy, then banking profits as they surface could be the way to go... higher liqduidity and smoother returns...
In this world of high risk, banking on profits, or losses not yet taken can be a detrement as those daily changes in dollar signs effect your emotions and blurr signals...

do what you got to do, I dont personally follow oher strategies, mine is evolving as I go...as I learn... and Im going to stand by my call because I believe in the fundamentals...

.^sc