About six years ago, I wrote a MOAA.org article stressing the importance of financial and investment discipline in the face of constant, and usually unhelpful, media reports.

If anything, the quality and quantity of these reports has gotten worse since then. The latest “big news” about the “next big thing” is rarely a click away, whether you’re on social media or browsing the web or flipping TV channels. And regardless of your views on cryptocurrency, you’d have to agree it’s only added fuel to the financial-news fire.

So, avoid the fire and stick to the basics. Here are seven tips to keep in mind:

1. Money Philosophy 101. Appreciate the satisfaction of investing and saving. Understand its long-term value is superior to the short-term gratification brought by excess spending. In the same vein, remember the difference between “wealth” and “a big paycheck”: Wealth provides freedom. Income from work is the opposite – many retirees realize this the hard way when the checks stop.

[FOR PREMIUM AND LIFE MEMBERS: Download The MOAA Investor’s Manual]

2. A Quick Credit Check. Do you know the difference between good credit and bad credit? Good credit builds assets (like a mortgage) or can increase earning potential (like an education loan) – it can be an important financial tool as long as your debt remains minimal. Bad credit covers most anything else – short-term spending on disposable items.

3. Skip the Schemes. Don’t take unreasonable risks. Don’t listen to any marketing or sales pitches. Don’t pursue penny stocks, stock options, or any number of other get-rich-quick propositions.

4. Solid Start. The basics might be boring, but there’s a reason they’ve been around forever – they work. Build your emergency savings. Stick to a budget. Spend less than you make. Start and maintain a well-planned retirement fund. Only when the basics are in place should you even consider more advanced investment strategies – and even then, don’t do it without the right help.

[RELATED: How to Select Your Financial Adviser]

5. Show No Emotion. This has been part of previous advice from MOAA, but it remains critical to your investment strategy. Investments made because of fear, greed, excitement, or “going with your gut” will not produce regularly successful results. Be wary of sales pitches that prey on these feelings – firms or individuals hawking precious metals are frequent offenders.

6. What is Wealth? Focus on ownership. Build shares – as the stock market rises (and over time, it will), more shares means more value in your retirement and investment accounts. Making more from investments or other income? Contribute more to these investment accounts – not just a larger figure, but a larger percentage over time.

[RELATED: The Power of Averaging Down]

7. Embrace Long-Term Thinking. Don’t continuously update your holdings in an attempt to “time the market” and hit some made-up short-term goal. You shouldn’t be attempting to beat the market – you should be attempting to build your wealth and not risk it on “buying the dip” or whatever market fluctuation is earning headlines this week. Like I said in 2015, “Building wealth doesn’t ‘trend’” – it comes from discipline and following the well-traveled road to financial success.