Do you know what the top tips are for picking stocks are? No one can tell the future, but we have compiled three of our top tips to getting your investment portfolio to make some real returns in the future. Just because a stock is hot, it doesn't mean that it's a really good long term pick for your portfolio. The front page of the New York Times can tell you what is hot, lets take a look at some different tips for the investing world in general are.

1. Do your research. Just because something is trading at 5 times earnings, doesn't mean it's an incredible deal. In fact, just the opposite might be true. If its really supposed to be trading at something like 10 times earnings, why do you think it's so low? The old adage: