It seems like the two terms are used interchangeably these days. Can an investor be a trader or vice versa? Absolutely. But explicitly investing or trading is a completely different ball game regarding day-to-day activity and financial goals. While investing used to be the default way to play the stock market, trading has gained popularity. This is especially true now that the stock market and brokerages are completely accessible online. So, trader vs investor?
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Trader vs Investor Introduction
Most people today are likely some hybrid of the two schools.
Having long-term investing and short-term trading elements in your portfolio is normal.
Is there one method that works better than the other? It all depends on personal preference and your financial goals and timeline.
Let’s dive deeper into the differences between a trader and an investor.
1. What Is Investing?
Let’s take it back to the fundamentals: what it means to be an investor. First, investing has a long-term investing horizon.
How long? Long-term investing is a common way for people to set themselves up and prepare for retirement.
It can be your source of income after employment is over or an inheritance you leave for your children. The one united goal of long-term investing is making substantial gains over years or even decades.
You know the saying: time in the market beats timing the market? This is the motto for long-term investors. Is it a guarantee that your investment portfolio will rise over time?
History dictates that it will, especially if you track the S&P 500, which annually returns about 10% on average. So even if you throw all your investment money into an S&P 500 index fund, you’ll gain an average of 10% yearly.
Of course, if you are a buy-and-hold long-term investor, that means you aren’t in the business of selling your stocks either. So, ideally, investors will buy when there is a dip in their desired stock price.
Some know they will hold that position for decades and believe the company will grow its valuation over time. If that’s the case, then nearly any price today will be a bargain a few decades from now!
2. What Is Trading?
Trading has a bit of a broader definition. In general, traders are short-term investors who aren’t looking to hold their positions for long. This could mean anywhere from a few days to a few hours to even a few minutes.
Rather than waiting for gains to accumulate over several years, traders like to make multiple smaller gains within a short-term period. Trading requires more time at your computer daily and a higher risk tolerance.
Is trading profitable? It can be! Traders generally use a mix of both fundamental analysis and technical analysis to find entry and exit points. Long-term investors will likely focus more on company fundamentals that could potentially lead to future growth. Let’s take a look at a couple of different types of traders.
3. What Is a Day Trader?
That is exactly what it sounds like: traders who open and close positions within the same trading day.
A day trader aims to watch for specific price movements in stocks or indices. The day trader can make small, incremental profits by taking advantage of these throughout the session.
Sticking to a system is the most important part of being a day trader. There is never any shame in taking profits. Once greed or emotions enter the system, things can go downhill quickly!
4. What Is a Swing Trader?
A swing trader is a hybrid of a long-term investor and a day trader. Swing traders generally hold their positions for three days to a month, sometimes even longer.
Swing trading is slightly less intense than day trading for obvious reasons. Not only can you time your entry point, but you can also mitigate losses. Setting a stop loss can easily help secure a profit, and the longer window allows you to exit at any point if you don’t like the way the markets are behaving.
5. What Is a Scalp Trader?
Scalp trading is probably the most advanced style of trading the markets. It’s kind of like extreme day trading, if that makes sense.
Scalp trading consists of dozens or even hundreds of micro trades throughout the day.
Each incremental gain can be sold for a small profit, and scalpers accumulate these daily.
Scalp trades can be executed as often as several seconds to several minutes apart. It is like day trading on a completely micro level.
6. What Is a Position Trader?
Position trading doesn’t get discussed much, but it is the closest thing to a bridge between trading and investing. This type of trader can hold a position in their portfolio for weeks, months, or even years.
It’s close to being a long-term investor, although position traders can sell for profit anytime. This means the goal is still to make a short-term profit rather than decades of holding for gains.
COURSE |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| DESCRIPTION | Learn how to read penny stock charts, premarket preparation, target buy and sell zones, scan for stocks to trade, and get ready for live day trading action | Learn how to buy and sell options, assignment options, implement vertical spreads, and the most popular strategies, and prepare for live options trading | How to read futures charts, margin requirements, learn the COT report, indicators, and the most popular trading strategies, and prepare for live futures trading |
| INCLUDED | Daily watch lists • Trade rooms • Trading scanners • Discord • Live streaming Day Trading > | Daily watch lists • Trade rooms • Options scanners • Discord • Live streaming Options > | Futures target levels • Trade rooms • Real time teaching • Discord • Live streaming Futures > |
Warren Buffett - Trader vs Investor
If you will invest like any long-term investor, look at Warren Buffett.
Whether you are an investor or trader, there is no doubt about what Buffett has accomplished as head of Berkshire Hathaway.
Buffett has famously made billions of dollars from long-term investments in stocks like Coca-Cola, Apple, and Bank of America. Not only have these all grown in price over the decades, but they return billions of dollars in stock dividends each year.
Buffett doesn’t sell often, which has allowed his dividends to be reinvested, growing his wealth even further. He is selective about his stocks as well. Buffett believes in backing strong American companies and stays away from sectors he does not understand fully.
Buffett might catch flack from a younger generation of YOLO traders, but he will undoubtedly become the greatest investor in history.
George Soros
The Hungarian-born Soros was an avid trader before he started his hedge fund. He famously worked as an arbitrage trader in his early days, and in 1970, he founded Soros Fund Management, which is worth upwards of $8.5 billion.
The fund has become one of the gold standards for hedge funds and even owns some Bitcoin, showing that Soros is not fearful of risky assets. If you want to learn how to invest, follow Buffett; if you want to learn how to trade, follow Soros.
Case For Investing
There is a strong case to be made for investing. For starters, there is far less stress involved in holding stocks for a long period.
Long-term investors barely have to log into their portfolios at all.
They say that compounding is the world’s eighth wonder, and if you let time do its job, your positions will grow from seeds into trees. Using that analogy, your portfolio will eventually be a forest of growth.
Long-term investing works for most people, especially those who have full-time jobs. This makes it more difficult to monitor the markets throughout the day.
Most people also don’t want the stress of having to make multiple trades in a short period. If you have a long-term investing horizon and don’t need the funds immediately, then letting your stocks grow is the best way to guarantee future wealth.
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Case For Trading
You’re young, motivated, and looking for fast profits. Well, you don’t necessarily have to be any of these, but this fits the profile of most day traders. Day trading can bring immense profits in a short amount of time if done correctly.
It requires a solid system, patience, and higher risk tolerance. Trading also requires some knowledge of technical analysis if you want to set up your entry and exit positions best.
Trading also requires some upfront capital that you will need to use to execute trades daily. Other things to consider are income taxes for capital gains (or losses) and brokerage fees if you do not have commission-free trading. It also takes up a lot more of your time to sit at the computer and constantly monitor the markets.
Final Thoughts: Trader vs Investor
Your personal choice! I will say that most people do not have the time, knowledge, or motivation to trade daily. For most people, long-term investing will be the best way to grow your investment over time.
It has the lowest amount of time dedication, the fees, and a near guarantee of 10% per year if you invest in an S&P 500 index fund. If you are determined to get into trading, I suggest starting with position or swing trading before diving into day trading.
