While entrepreneurs and many consumers might not have had the best year in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the stock market is still as powerful as ever for creating long term wealth.
Q3 2020 hedge fund letters, conferences and more
If you are someone who is looking to save for a car, save for a house, or retire one day, then it is important for you to target the stock market. The reality is that the stock market is going to provide you with better returns than you are going to find in the bond market or savings account. It is certainly going to provide you with better returns than you will find by stuffing money into a mattress. On the other hand, the stock market also comes with its fair share of risks. Even though the goal is to buy low and sell high, this is easier said than done. When it comes to trading stocks on the stock market, there are a few tips that everyone should keep in mind.
Look for Periods of Time When the Entire Stock Market Is on Sale
First, unless you work in the financial industry, you are going to have a hard time interpreting the individual metrics of certain stocks. Therefore, it may be a better idea for you to wait until the entire stock market is on sale. For example, the stock market crashed in 2008 due to a failing real estate market. During that time, nearly every stock was a good buy because it was simply undervalued. In the mind of a lot of people, some traditionally very expensive stocks were on sale. Therefore, buying just about anything during this time has resulted in a massive return between then and now.
Because the stock market is currently close to an all-time high, there are lots of people who believe that smart money may be telling us that we are headed for another stock market crash. In this is the case, look for stocks to be undervalued again at some point soon.
Be Patient and Hold Your Stocks
If you have done your homework on a company, then it is important for you to be patient and hold your stocks. If you trade using a strategy called dollar-cost averaging, then the average price at which you purchase your shares is going to be relatively low. As a result, the average return that you are going to get on each individual share should be relatively high.
On the other hand, it is easy for people to get spooked when they see the market start to fall. They are worried that they are going to lose everything. Remember that the market is going to rise and fall with time. Even though the market crashed in 2008, it rebounded relatively quickly. If you sold everything when the market bottomed out in 2008, then you probably lost a lot of money. When the market cycles again, it is important to be patient. If you do not need your money in the near future, then remain patient and hold your stocks. In contrast, if you are going to retire in the near future, then you may want to gradually start shifting your investments from stocks to bonds.
Be Smart With Your Investments
When you are trying to trade stocks on the stock market, it is important for you to be smart with your investments. Even though they may just look like they are numbers on the screen, they can have a very real impact on your future. Therefore, you need to be smart with your investments and develop a firm strategy that you can follow. When you are a disciplined investor, you place yourself in the best position possible to be successful.
