Buy and hold - but not for too long

[orang]

For a moment, I was thinking what is EPL? What financial term is that?

Alamak! It's English Premier League.

This "Buy and Hold - but not too long thread" is like having a lively discussion OUTSIDE the bear cave what's the best way to walk-up to the sleeping bear without getting mauled. Who can get the closest wins!

The trouble is I don't even know whether the bear is in the cave! My biggest fear is that the cave is empty and for all I know, the bear is sneaking up behind me trying his best not to giggle!

Sorry, no prizes for guessing EPL correctly. However give some thought to what it entails to be an EPL Manager.

At least you know where the bear cave is. I don't. Anyway it looks like a friendly bear. Or the bear is in a happy mood and giggling now. Yah?

---

When i started investing in 1988, i adopted an investment principle of buying in the Bear market and selling in the Bull market. And i intend to follow this Bear/ Bull cycle of investing with my whole life. i called this my life's cycle investing. i have no choice because i am not smart at reading Company's Annual Reports. i also always have my doubts about GAAP type of Company's report. Companies have to much "freedom" in this accrual type of reports.
So i am not sure whether my investment style is considered "BUY & HOLD" or "HIT & RUN". i suppose it depends on the period of each BEAR/Bull cycle.
i only know this cycle is getting very much shorter, lately.
i am not sure, this is beneficial to me or not?

Please comment, we are all here to share.
Thanks.

Very focused. Very simple.
Maybe can name your style as UPHILL & DOWNHILL, yah?
Any landmarks along the way to indicate the momentum?

Landmark:-

Well, we all know most people consider the beginning of a Bear Market, when DOW JONES IDX. drops below 20% from the most recent high. i use to start average down when my current portfolio is only about 30-40% of my investment $fund. From experience, i always found i average down too early.
Now, i think i will start buying only from 25% - 30% onwards. i usually average down all the way till all my investment fund is used. And the proverbial falling knife still has some distance to fall.
This time, i am going to try average up. Or more accurate and picturesque-pyramid-up. Which most financial books recommend and disapprove of pyramid-down. Besides, pyramid up is "safer" :- 4-3-2-1 instead of 1-2-3-4. The tricky part is when to start pyramid-up.

The maths seem a bit tricky

I am inclined to read you always start to average when your portfolio is down about 60%. Does not seem right. Too drastic

Whether pyramid-up or pyramid-down you are still in a game of probables. How much is in your kitty is definitely accurate

Maybe you should put yourself in the shoes of a EPL manager and try a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 system or some other tactics

I think you could a new thread - say, Uphill and Downhill - as this is a Buy and Hold thread. Not very appropriate. Then we can talk about riding uphill and downhill be it on a bicycle or a car

i start to average only when my portfolio balance is only 30%-40% of my investable fund. I mean i still have 60% of my fund to invest during a confirmed Bear Market. A stand-by fund.
And may i know where is the advantage of 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 over 4-3-2-1. pyramid-up averaging?

Hi Temperament,

I think I'll start a new thread. This thread is for serious Buy-and-Hold investors.