omkara said:
That's why I stopped speculating... you have to think about it all the time. I used to get anxious thinking about, 'I could have made this' or 'I could have made that.' Not to say that it isn't worthwhile, but there is definitely a cost that comes with it.
For that reason, I try to invest based on long-term fundamentals rather than short-term technical analysis.
My life is short and I'm not a day trader, so 'fire and forget' is the way to go.
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I got disenfranchised with analyzing business models and company profiles before investing once I realized that in many cases it isn't the best corporation or the one with the best business model that ends up winning in today's economy. It seems to be the corporations that are closest to the government faucet (teat), or the ones with the most regulatory influence that do the best regardless of how sour their grapes are.
Example, right now some of the best technical investments are alternative energy LTDs here in Australia, however even a peak at their business model would suggest bankruptcy within five years ... So how are they such good investments? Because they have taxpayer dollars doing primetime television ad campaigns for them, and are currently heavily subsidized by Federal and international NGO dollars.
I have a mental retardation in that I'm only compelled to invest based on merit, and there is no merit in a corporation that is buoyed by forced profits and the shifting sands of politics, with a gun to the head of competitors through regulatory ear-whispering. Plenty of profit to be made, but as I said I have a mild retardation.