Strategies

Money, Money, Money: Investing, Trading & Strategy

There are many ways to build wealth, and you don’t have to stick to just one strategy. I like a diversified portfolio with:

• FDIC-insured savings for safety

• Stocks and ETFs for steady growth

• Cryptocurrency for potential high returns and protection if the dollar weakens

Understanding Value

Trading is a game of judging value and demand. Ask yourself:

• What’s the company’s expected return?

• What’s the market cap, float, and volume?

• For crypto: How many tokens exist, is supply fixed, and how efficient is the network?

Knowing when an asset is undervalued is how you position for profits.

Learn more: What Is Market Value?

Stocks vs Crypto

Stocks are more straightforward on taxes and regulations. Crypto is still in uncharted territory, but I believe it could eventually become the preferred currency over the dollar. For now, I see Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) as relatively safe bets. The volatility also makes crypto good for “playing the bounce.”

Learn more: Stocks vs. Crypto

Going Long vs Shorting

Going long means buying shares and holding them, aiming for the stock to go up. Your risk is limited to what you put in, and you can benefit from long-term growth or dividends.

Shorting flips that idea. A trader borrows shares and sells them, hoping to buy them back cheaper later. If the stock falls, they profit. But if the stock rises, losses can be unlimited.

Why Short Squeezes Spike So Fast

When a stock rises instead of falling, short sellers feel pressure. Sometimes brokers have sold more shares than they had on hand. As prices climb, brokers demand more collateral (a margin call). Shorts are forced to buy back shares, creating extra demand and driving prices higher. This cascade of panic buying is why squeezes can be explosive and unpredictable.

Smaller squeezes happen often and can be profitable, though they get little attention. The big squeezes that make headlines often become heavily manipulated and highly volatile — moving more on hype than fundamentals.

Learn more: Short Squeeze Basics

Options Trading

Options let you control shares at a set price for a set time.

• Calls profit when prices rise.

• Puts profit when prices fall.

Many traders sell the contract itself without exercising it. If it goes right, you can exercise the contract, selling above market value or buying below. These moves carry high risk and high reward. If it does not go as expected, the contracts may expire worthless.

Learn more: Options Basics

Chasing Explosive Gains (Carefully & Wisely)

I enjoy the thrill of chasing explosive gains — but with a calculated approach:

• Risk only a small amount of capital

• Use a strong trading plan with defined stop-loss levels

• Take advantage of trailing stop-losses to lock in gains

• Study trends and volume spikes for timing entries and exits

Some examples of volatile swing trades with explosive potential include:

• GNPX, OCTO, OPEN — wild movers for short-term gains

• LCID — once saw gains up to 800% off the bottom

• AMC and BBBY — meme stocks made unpredictable by hype

Dividend Stocks

Some investors prefer reliable income plays. For example, T. Rowe Price (TROW) has been a solid long-term performer, paying about 2% quarterly dividends.

• Buy before the record date to receive dividends

• Reinvesting dividends accelerates compounding returns

Learn more: Dividend Investing Basics

Compound Interest Calculator

Crypto Examples

• Bitcoin (BTC) — decentralized, limited supply

• Ethereum (ETH) — supports smart contracts, essential in DeFi

• Basic Attention Token (BAT) — shows steady long-term growth with volatility

Learn more: What Is Cryptocurrency?

Keenan Grace’s Tips

• “Get in, Get up, Get out!”

• Proper preparation prevents poor performance.

• Diversify — don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

• Paper trades help, but real money brings real emotions.

Swing vs Day Trading

Swing trading allows more flexibility and less screen time.

Day trading requires constant attention, quick reactions, and collateral.

⚠️ Be careful of good faith violations when trading with unsettled funds.

Learn more: Swing vs Day Trading

Buying Low & Selling High

Opportunities arise when assets are oversold during fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD). For example, Basic Attention Token (BAT) shows strong long-term trends with wild short-term swings. These dips can be profitable if you stay patient.

Learn more: Buy Low, Sell High Basics

Final Thoughts

Sometimes companies are attacked with bad publicity to drive down prices for shorts. That’s when communities rally — as seen with GME and AMC. When shorts are forced to cover, huge gains can follow. Smaller squeezes can fly under the radar, while big headline squeezes often become manipulated and unpredictable.

May the odds be ever in your favor!