4 Tips for Self-Directed Investors
Investing successfully requires more than reading a few articles and following trends. Effective investment means taking the time to craft a thoughtful plan accounting for personal objectives and external factors, then tailoring a strategy to fit. These four time-honored tips can help any self-directed investor formulate that plan and reach their goals.
Tip #1: Plan for Success
Markets are dynamic – there is no way to predict their behavior with 100 percent accuracy. That makes it even more important to develop a plan that accounts for a variety of factors like personal goals, tolerance for risk, and timeline, then invest accordingly. Creating a plan with diversified assets and portfolio percentages and sticking to that plan in bull and bear markets means investors can better weather the inherent ups and downs of market behavior and maximize returns.
Tip #2: Do the Research
While market behavior is unpredictable, research gives investors the information they need to make informed decisions and increase their chances for success. Self-directed investors benefit from looking beyond surface level observations like stock market performance or mutual fund fees and digging deeper into material like a fund manager’s background and investment style, annual fund reports, and more. Investors can then analyze how a prospective investment fits in context with their goals before making final purchasing decisions.
Tip #3: Think Rationally
Stocks on strong bull runs can be intoxicating – after all, all investors want to beat the market and earn hefty returns. But following the hottest stocks of the moment and basing financial decisions on their current trajectory often leads to disadvantageous behavior, followed by weaker performance. The same applies to downturns in the market, when emotional decision-making can lead some investors to jump ship early – with harmful future ramifications. This makes it vitally important for investors to lean on their heavily-researched plans in good times and bad, trusting that they have accounted for negative and positive trends. By articulating clear goals and backing them with research, investors can avoid fearful and emotion-driven behavior.
Tip #4: Stay the Course (But Be Open to Changes)
Self-directed investors that have done the research, developed a well-considered plan, and back their decisions with data are already setting themselves up for success. The final piece of the puzzle is equally important: investors must be willing to reevaluate their goals and periodically adjust the plan to meet them. This means rebalancing the portfolio to reflect shifting markets, while also trusting the overall strength of the plan no matter how the market behaves. Thorough planning, thoughtful research, data-based decision-making, and regular reevaluation can set any self-directed investor on the path to sustained success.
Bonus Tip: Use Algorithms and A.I. to Help You Formulate Investment Ideas
Tickeron has developed user friendly Artificial Intelligence tools to help new and experienced investors generate investment ideas. Tickeron’s A.I. is capable of evaluating a portfolio and providing a “Diversification Score,” to tell the user how well-diversified their portfolio is. The A.I. can you allocation ideas based on your risk tolerance, investment objectives, and the investment options available.
But there’s more. Tickeron’s A.I. is capable of performing a multitude of functions:
- Finding stock patterns in the market
- Finding trends in the stock market
- Testing portfolios to see if they are well-diversified
- Back-testing statistics to see how different stock patterns generated trading results
- Making Predictions for price movements in the future, with “A.I. Rank” and level of confidence in the trade.
And much more. No longer is AI just confined to the biggest hedge funds in the world. It can now be accessed by everyday investors. Learn how on Tickeron.com.
SPY in +2.04% Uptrend, growing for three consecutive days on March 25, 2025
Moving higher for three straight days is viewed as a bullish sign. Keep an eye on this stock for future growth. Considering data from situations where SPY advanced for three days, in of 369 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The RSI Oscillator points to a transition from a downward trend to an upward trend -- in cases where SPY's RSI Oscillator exited the oversold zone, of 19 resulted in an increase in price. Tickeron's analysis proposes that the odds of a continued upward trend are .
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for SPY just turned positive on March 21, 2025. Looking at past instances where SPY's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in of 53 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
SPY may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The Stochastic Oscillator may be shifting from an upward trend to a downward trend. In of 70 cases where SPY's Stochastic Oscillator exited the overbought zone, the price fell further within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The Momentum Indicator moved below the 0 level on March 28, 2025. You may want to consider selling the stock, shorting the stock, or exploring put options on SPY as a result. In of 71 cases where the Momentum Indicator fell below 0, the stock fell further within the subsequent month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
SPY moved below its 50-day moving average on February 24, 2025 date and that indicates a change from an upward trend to a downward trend.
The 10-day moving average for SPY crossed bearishly below the 50-day moving average on March 04, 2025. This indicates that the trend has shifted lower and could be considered a sell signal. In of 14 past instances when the 10-day crossed below the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where SPY declined for three days, the price rose further in of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The Aroon Indicator for SPY entered a downward trend on March 24, 2025. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options.
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