Investing and trading are not the same thing. The returns you seek, the length of time it takes to achieve those returns, the amount of risk one is prepared to take, and the commitment one can make to monitor the investments dictate the strategy of whether to invest or trade. Buying houses in Florida is an investment. Shorting the euro-dollar for 3 hours that's trading. And by the way, what is an "astute" investor?
I hold a post graduate degree in pharmaceutics. But this doesn't mean that am full fledged huge money making trader. I have just spent three years which was sufficient enough for me to start the profitable trading business now.
No they aren't and I'm not going to get into a semantics argument other than the similarity is that both involve some kind of speculation in the markets. Astute means they make smart decisions which generally perform well.
I have tried doing calculus and statistics for free on coursera. but quit after 1 week cuz its so BORING. Making money in the market is much more exciting
In fact it's quite the opposite, the pros are bored to death when they trade! Their daily "job" is to find a trading opportunity and pull the trigger, that's it. They also do not give a damn if the trade is a winning or a losing trade, for them it's just another freaking trade. So be warned, trading profitably IS boring and not exciting at all, just the way it should be.
i have made a profitable strategy after a bit of time and agravation. But the thing is that its so boring, basically done within the first 2 hours of the day, and also some days not taking any trades. because its so boring I opened up a option account with a few hundred bucks and I trade 1 options lots on aapl or spy, its the only way I get through the day, my profitable system is too damn boring!