At its most basic, investing is all about making more profit from your trades. For many, this involves investing in high-quality stocks over a long period of time, reaping the benefits through dividend payouts.
Whilst this is a sure-fire way to make some money, when looking to improve as an investor (as well as looking to profits) you should also be making more conscious decisions about what you invest in. To help investors, we’ve put together our top 3 ways to improve as an investor.
1. Research and training
Whilst this may seem obvious to some, keeping up to date with markets and developments is crucial when looking to be an investor. For new and seasoned investors alike, a lack of research can have devastating consequences.
Conducting thorough research into the market, investing, and any trends will leave you in a far better position when and if things suddenly turn downhill.
Make sure you thoroughly research your investment before, during and after you’ve invested to avoid any nasty surprises. It’s always good practice to stay up to date with the latest political news in the market. Even the slightest hint of political unrest can be catastrophic for you and your investments.
2. Consider ethical investments
Becoming a better investor is not only about the profit you make, but how you make it. Nowadays, many investors are utilising an ethical investment method to achieve growth.
But what exactly does this mean?
Broadly speaking, ethical investing (otherwise known as “ESG” or Environmental, Social and Governance investing), is an umbrella term covering different types of sustainable investing. This essentially covers all investments that have a positive impact on society in the long run. It covers everything from tackling climate change to increasing productivity.
Whilst it can be said that investors are only interested in the financial gain of their investments, with the right strategy it can be possible to achieve both. Whilst traditionally, many investors were not so concerned with so-called ‘ethical investing’, millennials are partly behind the exponential growth of ethical investing. Millennials on the whole are much more concerned with company values and ethics, so ethical investing is not only beneficial to wider society, but is also a smart move that could yield excellent growth.
3. Invest in new technology
Finally, if you’re serious about investing, it always helps to find new technology to help you invest smarter. By spending time researching the best new technology to use, this will allow you to stay current and improve your decision making and investments with ease.
Investing is not for the faint-hearted and can be difficult at times. By doing your research and making ethical investments, you can start to make the most of your investments, and you might just make the world that little bit of a better place by doing so.