“Buffeted” by Cruel Fate vs. Buffered by Warren Buffett? By Gene W. Edwards. Posted 1/19/2025.

But you can’t blame Warren Buffett for anything regarding the financial markets. The Oracle of Omaha (Nebraska), Buffett, wrote the “book” on how, and how not, to invest. His whole philosophy is buy-and-hold “as long as possible.” He buys “companies,” not stocks.

The opposite modus operandi is that of the day trader, off to conquer the world, like the Tarot Fool card character, like the average new day trader, who only trades during the regular hours of the DOW or NASDAQ and gets out each day before market close. Here’s what market mavens say: “Ninety percent of new day traders lose 90% of their equity [investment money] within 90 days.” Period.

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In the financial markets, it’s live and learn. Even the best traders, except for Warren Buffett, tend to win and lose several fortunes within one lifetime. You see, it’s just like sports. Each time two teams go out to play, one wins and one loses — and a winner emerges, sometimes despite all odds. Underdogs win, underdogs lose. The legendary Fates run it all, all that capriciousness within the wild seesawing financial markets, part of the time. Never try to second-guess the markets, pretending you know where they, or a particular stock, will do next. If you’re wrong, you could lose your shirt while someone else wins it. Let the markets tell you, from day to day, minute to minute, where they are — but buy and hold is the turtle to the hare, so also keep…