I’m going to be up front, based on the research I’ve done and considering my lifestyle and values, I believe value investing is the best form of investing style for the long term and building substantial wealth. However, I know people have different goals, skills, and personality traits, so I don’t want to discredit other investing styles. I do believe you should research the different investing styles, reflect on them, decide on a style, and consistently stick to it with periodic check ins to see if it still resonates with you.

Consistency is important. It will give you time to fully develop your skill set. Don’t be quickly swayed by differing opinions. Consider all advice, but designate a time, maybe yearly, to evaluate your investing style again. Otherwise you risk switching from style to style quickly, without giving yourself a chance to flourish. It’s like constantly uprooting a flower to put it in a better environment; yes, some environments are better, but the act of uprooting the flower for minor improvements is more damaging than giving it a chance to grow in its current environment.

Step one in determining your investment style is to think about your goals and how much time you want to spend towards investing. Consider the following questions to help you determine what investment style might work for you:

• Do you want consistent income in the form of dividend payments?
• Do you want lower taxes taken out of your investment earnings by holding onto investments greater than one year?
• Do you want to spend several hours researching a company prior to investing, but then have the assurance that the company has strong financials and even if the stock drops some, will come back over time?
• Do you want to make potentially large amounts of money quickly?
• Are you ok with having to check in on your investments several times a week?

Step two is to consider your self-reflection from step one, while researching different investment styles. Below I dive into some details of two of the prominent investing styles: growth and value investing.

Information about growth and value investing was found on the Investopedia website, located at http://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/growthstock.asp and http://www.investopedia.com/university/value-investing/value-investing1.asp.

This is quick overview of two prominent investment styles. Take some time to look more into one that resonates with you. Start small with investing and learn more with each purchase. Best of luck to you on your investing journey!