Are You an Investor or a Trader?

Published on: November 23rd, 2021

Mark Ritchie II, CIO of RTM Capital Advisors, has grappled with one of the classic questions everyone in the markets faces at one point or another: “Are you an investor or a trader?” Throughout his multi-decade career, Mark realized that for almost everyone who is successful over the long-term the answer is likely a little bit of both. These notes synthesise the key learnings from his interview with Jamie McDonald, where Mark explains how he has taken a non-traditional path in finance, starting as a pure trader to his current style marrying trading and investing. We look at how Mark uses trial and error, the help of mentors, and market history to develop his style and process that relies on the convergence of technicals, fundamentals, and sentiment. Mark also touches on the psychological aspects of trading and how he thinks about trading as part of a holistic life. You can find more information about Mark and his firm at their website: https://rtmca.com. To get a complete picture of Mark’s process, please watch the full interview: https://rvtv.io/3nMksqp

Comments

  • EI
    Ed I.
    24 November 2021 @ 10:28
    Mark has a lot of experience from which I would benefit, and it is built on a foundation of self-understanding and conviction. His journey must have been a fascinating one. I felt the interviewer handled it clumsily, trying to tell his own story rather than drawing out the one that Mark came to tell. Mark said throughout "I could go deeper into that if you'd like", but Jamie never once took him up on it, even to the point of telling Mark that "I want to talk about that later" (which never arrived), Great interviewee, clumsy interviewer. Spend less time shaping and couching and telling and way more time listening and drawing Mark out and you'll have a segment worth the 82 minutes this one ran. Giving Mark perhaps half the time to speak was a disservice to him and to this listener. "Master Classes" should be taught by the masters. Perhaps Jamie himself should be interviewed so he can get his own story out and not then need to step on his guest's time. I offer this as constructive criticism - what Mark did share was insightful and real. I still rated this a "Like" overall.