Big news in the financial world is the Dow Jones Industrial Average hitting an all-time record. But what is the Dow and should it make any difference to you? First of all, the Dow is not the stock market. It’s a historical symbol that is not really important to regular investors. It represents the value of the 30 largest companies in the U.S. The S&P 500 is much more important in terms of financial outlook of the company. The most important thing is that you are diversified in your investments. Too often people go after one industry or what’s considered the hot money trail, meaning “emerging markets.” Back in the 90s, the hot thing was tech stocks. Then, we hit 2000, and people saw their stock values drop as much as 99 percent. You have to decide whether you are an investor or a gambler. A lot of people in the financial world want you to think it’s too confusing or hard to figure out what to do with your money. They want you to think that you need them. But it’s really pretty easy. The best thing you can do is put your money in index funds for a long period of time and you’ll be fine.