Beyond GameStop: the day trader turned investor

Young investors have rushed to open day trading accounts under lockdown, using tips gleaned from chat rooms and social media as they attempt to make a fast buck. But betting on short-term market movements carries a high risk of losing money — something that 19-year-old Ross has found out the hard way trading stocks like GameStop and AMC. If he invested his money for a matter of years instead of a matter of minutes, would he get a better return? Claer Barrett hears from experts Merryn Somerset Webb, the FT columnist and editor-in-chief of MoneyWeek, and Damien Fahy, founder of investment website Money to the Masses.

If you would like to talk to Claer for a future podcast episode, email the Money Clinic team money@ft.com with a brief description of your story. Follow Claer on Twitter and Instagram @Claerb and read her weekly Serious Money column.

Read more:

-Claer’s thoughts about good investment habits to build for the future: Where do the next generation of investors go from here? 

-Merryn Somerset Webb’s column every Saturday in the Weekend FT. Follow her @MerrynSW 

-Damien Fahy’s website Money to the Masses for information about investing, including a blog about his own £50,000 portfolio and a podcast. Follow him @Money2theMasses 

-And finally… those book recommendations. From Merryn: Investing for Growth by veteran fund manager Terry Smith; Effective Investing by former Hargreaves Lansdown research director Mark Dampier, and The Anatomy of the Bear by Russell Napier, the equity market strategist (disclaimer: Merryn wrote the introduction to the new edition). From Damien: How to own the world by Andrew Craig, adding that this book “explores the whole concept of why you’d want to invest”

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

View our accessibility guide.