Bull market, buy, bear market, go for break. Quite simple actually, bull market no matter wat stock you buy, they will go up. Bear market step out altogether.
Your thread title should be "Long Term Investing Actually Quite Simple." That's not trading, what you're describing. Trading is what I do, when I feel a buyer in a stock and see everyone who's short leaning on one order at 34.50 for 10,000 and see that NMS 34.40 showing 200 has bought 3500 shares so far with a 6k UBS bid at 34.35, and I take 2k to see the other 8k go really quickly - I grab the last 500 and then another 500 at 34.55, immediately sell 1000 at 34.65 into the momentum, all the while eyeing a large order at 35.00 which I think will get tested, so I limit 1000 up at 34.90 which gets filled in a market sweep. I hold onto the last 1000, wiling to give it to my original stop, if the NMS .40 breaks, except I see that the 200 share NMS that was at .40 is now at .60 and there is no order whatso ever at 34.40, so if the .60 breaks I go market. ^ that's trading It's kind of simple to me, but definitey not easy.
I'm too old for intraday trading, heart cannot take it I swing trading normally, few days buying and selling
I find keeping it simple works only so well. My edge has a certain level of complexity. What makes it work is consistency. I think that's probably true of any successful trader whether you're trading the trend like you mentioned or scalping.
Both of your approaches will be as simple, or as complicated as you both make them. Trade filled > Market moves in favour you make money < Market moves against you, lose money. Swingtrading can way outperform scalping, as scalping can way outperform swingtrading. It all depends on how many times you win, lose, or draw, and how much you take off the table when you are winning. Losses should always take care of themselves. Watch what the Generals are doing, and both of you will make good money, once you learn how to read their intentions.