By the way, before everyone starts yelling at me that I don't know what I am talking about and I am sending Toasterwater to the slaughter, let me say this.
There are many ways to lose considerable amounts of money in the market. Buying and holding an index fund during an unstable inflationary economic cycle is one. (This can be quite risky in the short term, so those on this board giving that advice should be honest about it.)
Dying the death of a thousand tiny cuts is another. And this is quite common with small accounts that like to trade. They get eaten up by commissions and fees because they are so afraid of losing money that they diversify like crazy and chase hot stocks or mutual funds and watch their account dwindle to nothing.
This is what I struggled with for many years, until finally I said forget what others are telling me to do. I am not a buy and hold person and trying to be one is failure. I trade stocks, and I know how to make money from these specific kinds of trades. So when the market is in the right position, and my stock are in the right setups, I put my money on the line. And I take on as much risk as I am comfortable with in these situations (and it is more than the books will tell you to do.) And when the market is not in the right position, and my stocks aren't setting up, then I have zero money in the market (and that isn't what a lot of the common advice tells you what to do either).
But it works for me.
Find your own way, Toasterwater and enjoy the ups and downs.
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