When you start investing in the stock market, you’ll find that there are many different strategies available for you to build a successful portfolio. If you already have a lot of your plate and you don’t want to spend your days watching every change in a security’s price, then you might take a passive approach to building your wealth. That’s generally what happens when you spend money on some assets and leave them to grow over time. On the other hand, if you enjoy the thrill of the industry and the exchanges, then you may become an active trader. This is the kind of person who’s constantly making changes to their portfolio in the hope of building bigger profits in a shorter span of time. Today, we’re going to be looking at the two camps that active individuals often divide themselves into: swing and day trading.

What’s the Difference?

Both of these kinds of investors hope to make profits from short-term movements in their chosen businesses. They buy and sell assets a lot more rapidly than their passive counterparts. However, those in the day environment are often moving at a much faster rate than their alternatives. As the name suggests, if you fall into this camp, then you’ll often move in and out of multiple positions within a 24-hour period. Experts in the day trading landscape make their decisions based on in-depth technical analysis and consistently optimized strategies.

While you might not win on every purchase that you make, the rapid conversion of assets gives you multiple opportunities to profit on a regular basis. This is a huge lure for people who want to see the results of their hard work as quickly as possible. On the downside, there’s also a lot of stress involved, particularly if you fall into this segment of the industry. On the other hand, if you learn swing trading, then you’ll be making purchases and sales regularly, but perhaps not as fast as your counterpart. Instead, you identify potential changes in the market that might take place over a period of days. Sometimes, it takes a couple of weeks to move in and out of a position, rather than just a few hours.

Can You Do Both?

Both of these options have their positives and negatives to think about. While swing-based investments do require less stress and focus than their alternative, they also don’t deliver as much financial benefit in a short space of time, for instance. If you have plenty of capital, and you’re happy to quit your day job, you could potentially take advantage of both strategies to take your earning potential to the next level. However, it’s worth noting that going full time in this industry can be a very stressful experience, particularly during times when you’re encountering more losses than wins. If you’re a beginner, it’s usually a good idea to avoid both of these avenues until you’ve learned more about the market and what works best for your risk level. There are less risky opportunities out there.