Getting Rich Slowly...Via Patience

Within the world there are two basic paths that a human can take. One, the seemingly simpler and more commonsense, is also the path that youth generally takes. This is the path of instant gratification: get it now. Unfortunately, as with most aspects of life, there is give and take, quid pro quo; a price to pay for all things sweet and merry. It is just a fact of life that when one takes on a pleasure now that could otherwise be allowed to simmer for later, the price is generally more costly. Yet for so many people, many Americans of all ages for instance, this is the choice that is taken, rather than bare that grave horror, waiting.

Yet for the patient man or woman, boy or girl, the rewards tend to prove much greater when the need to have something can be put off for another day, week, month, or year. In fact, as odd as it may seem, in many cases, the longer one waits, the better the wine becomes, and the bigger the pay-off.

This is especially true for investing, for those who don’t have the advantages of the rich or well trained who are able to conduct day-to-day trading of stocks. It is in cases like this that an investor will do well to have patience.

The process is fairly simple, though there are inherent dangers in any form of investment. First, one must decide on which shares to invest in, after much careful research. Whatever means a person uses to research stocks, whether as technical, fundamental, a synthesis of these two stalwart philosophies, or yet another form of investing philosophy, making non-emotional, rational investments is essential.

Next, when the shares are purchased, sit on these stocks. First, stocks should be held for a minimum of a year as to sell sooner will incur capital gains taxes, which are never a pleasure to pay, as this is hard-earned money given away. Further, an investor should consider holding a stock for a minimum of 5 years. This should not be a problem if the research proved the value of the stock; part of this research includes gains in the stock over the past 5 years. So, if a stock starts to falter, chances are that it will rebound in time. Again, this comes back to the matter of patience and waiting for the reward.

If it is retirement that is sought, many of these same companies may be kept as part of a portfolio for decades. The payoff, like the meal from a great recipe, will be beyond the pale, memorable, and should produce thousands of additional dollars apart from the original investment. It is this sort of patience that has made Rockefellers, Buffets, and Trumps stand out, even amongst other billionaires.