A keen trader or investor has to use a method that they understand and that gives them an advantage, an edge – no matter how small.

That method, or way of trading, has to suit the trader’s personality. The technique could be fast-moving, lower time frame, or slow-moving, higher timeframe. Or a combination of both.

Emotionally, the method has to suit too. For example, most traders are comfortable trading relatively large positions on slower moving, higher time frame trades such as daily, weekly or monthly charts; however, are less objective with such trades on lower time frame situations such as intraday (day-trading) opportunities.

Once we sort our emotional tolerance, we then need to consider our ability to manage such trades. Do we have the time and the skills necessary to trade lower time frame situations? Where a trade entry and exit on a ‘swing’ trade can play out in 10 chart bars or less – which on a 2-minute chart is 20 minutes. The same trade using a daily chart would take some two weeks.

I use three clear trading methods with clear time frames. I feel that in each of the methods I have a small edge, and that is vital. The methods are:

1. 30-year’s investing using detailed fundamental analysis of company figures. I’m primarily looking here at finding a company that is selling at half price or less and one that has been consistently excellent for many years (usually ten years). The company, importantly, needs to be a company that will still be here, and profitable, in 30 years. The calculations took Nick and me over 9-months to develop.
2. I trade gold, silver, copper, crude oil, treasury bonds and USD/CAD both long and short, and only trade on precise signals. Each trade held for several weeks; this is where I mainly trade the Slow Trader fund. The strategy here is sound, tested and profitable.
3. Intraday trading of any stock, commodity, index or FX that suits – my favourite is GBP/USD. Skilfully, managerially and emotionally intraday trades are the most difficult. Intraday is also immensely time-consuming and takes many years to become consistently profitable.

You will notice that each method avoids the market crash timeframe of 5 to 15 years. Yes, the 30-year plan will go through a few crashes during its investment period, but over 30 years the crashes provide a ‘dollar-cost-averaging’ opportunity to invest more. The only important crash in the 30-year method that is of concern is the last one. I appreciate that as its 30-years it may not be me making this decision!