Market Investing - Layman's Question

[Cajundaddy]

Fints experience rings true. If you can risk trading money you don't need to live on with no emotional investment you can create potential for some big wins, or losses. The market is being heavily manipulated by institutional investors who are always 3 steps ahead of us. Even so, the basic tenant of buy low/sell high works and we can still make money long term or from the sidelines of the major league game. Regular folk only really get the crumbs that are left at the table after the lions have eaten but sometimes crumbs are enough.

Short term investing left a bad taste in my mouth after seeing what goes on behind the curtain so I favor Buffett's "buying a farm" analogy along with index funds for long term appreciation.

[MRM]

Trading based on past history of price fluctuations is the financial equivalent of going to the roulette wheel and putting your money on black because the ball landed on red three times in a row. Day trading on the theory that past fluctuations or a current trajectory will be repeated is even worse.

Institutional investors seldom beat the S&P 500. If Donald Trump had simply invested his inheritance in an S&P 500 index account when his father died instead of investing it himself, he would be far richer today than he is. https://assetbuilder.com/knowledge-center/articles/THE_TRUTH_ABOUT_DONALD_TRUMP_AND_INDEX_FUNDS

The only good stock market advice anyone can give a lay investor is to have a diversified portfolio with your stocks in a low cost S&P 500 index fund.

[Crowbob]

I've done better over the last year and a half by getting my money out of the market and into passbook savings accounts. Only because I'm a genius, though.

[asphaltgambler]

Thanks all - some good input

[masraum]

Originally Posted by McLovin

Do NOT buy any stocks right now.

I dunno, this seems like a pretty good time to me. The best time? The bottom of the dip? Maybe not, but a good time, yeah, I think this is a pretty good time.

[Aurel]

Right now you can make good money buying stocks that are shorting the chinese stock index.
Look up FXP or YANG for instance...I just wish I had bought $10k of YANG instead of $5k of FXP. Lower risk, lower reward...

[masraum]

Originally Posted by MRM

Institutional investors seldom beat the S&P 500. If Donald Trump had simply invested his inheritance in an S&P 500 index account when his father died instead of investing it himself, he would be far richer today than he is. https://assetbuilder.com/knowledge-center/articles/THE_TRUTH_ABOUT_DONALD_TRUMP_AND_INDEX_FUNDS

The only good stock market advice anyone can give a lay investor is to have a diversified portfolio with your stocks in a low cost S&P 500 index fund.

Along the same lines, check this out. This plan promotes low cost index funds diversified globally and across different asset classes to reduce risk and increase return.
The Ultimate Buy-and-Hold Strategy

[intakexhaust]

Crapshoot. I realize Scottrade db was hacked last year but hey, what the heck, seems the trend these days. Decent to low commission trades and a mobile app. No core answer. If you want to play, pick your nose or pick a stock in a company you see as if you were running it. Best is still riding a wave for the long haul. Good luck~