Timing the Market vs Time IN the Market

Everyone wants to be a market timer.

The thought of buying stocks cheap, see them rise to stratospheric heights and then bailing out at the top is almost euphoric.

If you’ve actually done it, you know it’s an amazing adrenaline rush.  The downside is, you think you’re invincible and can do it again at will.

And that’s when the markets whack you up side the head with a 2X4 and you never saw it coming.

So, why do most investors fail miserably when it comes to “timing the market?”

It’s simple.

Most investors are lousy traders.

And, unlike investors, most traders aren’t greedy.

Traders rarely get caught in FOMO (see Thursday’s email HERE).

Traders also have, what I call, a surfer’s mentality.

Let me explain.

Like surfers, traders know that:

• Regardless of the market conditions – there’s always another opportunity (wave) coming.
• They don’t worry about an opportunity (wave) they might have missed.
• They don’t concern themselves with sharks.
• You can only catch a wave by being in the water.
• Traders look at investors like surfers look at spectators on the beach…the spectators (in cash) watch as the surfers have all the fun.
• Surfers, like traders, know at times they’ll get wiped out by a wave.
• But they get back up knowing that some of the best waves (opportunities) come right after getting wiped out.
• Most traders/surfers know that when the conditions/storms get too crazy it’s time to get out.

This mind set differs for investors because they’re conditioned to believe that, “If I just sit things out everything will get back to normal soon.”

How many of you are willing to wait 13 years or more to break even on an investment gone bad?  (Cough! NASDAQ, 2000-2013, Cough! Cough!)

Whether you’re a trader or investor, the next few years will present you with opportunities of your lifetime.

Every month we highlight opportunities/waves for you to take advantage of in our “…In Plain English” newsletter.

The questions remain, Will you see them, act on them, or ignore them?

Learn how to seize the moment with some of our recommendations in our July issue: