There are likely more bargains internationally than here at home, where stocks are well researched and analyzed. Sometimes entire countries see their stock markets either rise to ridiculous extremes, or fall to levels that can only be described as the bargain of a lifetime.

A policy of searching out the best bargains worldwide, wherever they may lie, can have an enormous impact on your performance.

There tends to be a fear of investing in foreign markets that is often unsubstantiated by the facts. Sir John Templeton invested in Japan in the 1960's, when valuations were incredibly cheap and the long-term prospects promising. But at the time, many investors would have been uncomfortable with Japan as an investment. 25 years later, Japan seemed to be the only place to be invested in! Perceptions change, and what was risky and unfamiliar becomes commonplace.