Growing up, investing was something you did in person or over the phone. In my early 20s, online brokerages surfaced, and suddenly, everything changed once again. People like Warren Buffet led the way with their buy-and-hold strategies. After all, the market did not move as quickly, and there was less volatility. People did not move as quickly either.

To be sure, there were day traders before online brokerages. The world of investing is always changing, however, and the market moves more quickly than it ever has before. Old-school investors stay with what they know, but the smart ones also reach for what the new generations bring to the table. And this old-school investor falls somewhere in between. My job here is to point out how trend investing has changed the way investors think in 2021.

New Investors

New investors are growing up in a world where there is an app for everything. That is the current climate, and who knows what’s next. These new investors are greeted with investing apps that make everything much easier and more fun. While investing is not a game, these apps do not necessarily deserve that type of branding. Many of these apps have been responsible for introducing young people to financial literacy.

While imperfect, these apps have inspired many young people to invest, especially during the pandemic. Company logos are now used more than ever, and the market is full of more startups than ever before, too. There are more opportunities to invest in trends than ever before. But if you follow the leader, won’t you fall flat?

Why Invest In Trends?

At first glance, a seasoned investor would steer clear of looking to invest in trends. You certainly do not want to chase prices, and you are not going to find value stocks that way. Aren’t most of the trend stocks overpriced? One thing this seasoned investor knows is you can never predict the market. If you try, your returns are likely to suffer. Investors like to think they can leave their emotions off the table, but that is easier said than done.

Why invest in ridesharing services, plant-based meat alternatives, autonomous driving, space infrastructure, etc. when everything seems overpriced? Moreover, many of these companies are not profitable, so you can’t factor in EPS to help you out. You have to go with your gut, and you have to watch what new investors are doing.

The Teacher And The Student

Young people do not get older people and fail to listen. Older people think younger people should listen, and so they fail to learn from young people. The point I am making is that investors need to strike that delicate balance. They need to stick with what they know and instruct others while simultaneously learning from the younger generations.

There was a moment a few weeks ago where something unprecedented happened in the market. I have seen it come to fruition in recent years and in a variety of ways, usually on a lesser scale. Are you familiar with shorting stocks? Have you been following GameStop?

Retail investors took notice of the volume for shorts on GME, and they decided to form a mob. I have never seen retail investors be able to group together and stick it to the shorts as they did. It was a game-changer. Now, does that mean this seasoned investor with a sizable nest egg suddenly feels inclined to buy GameStop? Absolutely not.

What Trends?

So what trends are worth investing in this year? The GameStop trend is one that shows the new strength that retail investors have, but GME is a dying company. Think about trends and startups. Consider established companies that you think might have inflated share prices. I know, it is really difficult coming from the old-school era and buying BYND (Beyond Meat) for $140.

First, no one is saying abandon what you have already been doing. Part of growing as an investor is learning how to continuously diversify your nest egg as it grows. You can never learn too much about diversification. Most people stop learning when they decide how many stocks they want to have in their portfolios. They then argue that number and check-in with analysts.

If you stop at traditional securities and think that diversification is a number, you are missing the point. Listen, I have 21 accounts and dozens of different types of positions. I am much more than an investor in the stock market, and the market holds opportunities, too, that most people never grasp. The reason I am telling you this is to let you know where I am at on my journey and why I am saying you should add trend stocks to your portfolio.

Currently, I have one account dedicated to trend stocks. It is up over 130 percent since last year. It is the one account of 21 that has the biggest gains over the last 12 months. It makes me want to allocate even more funds to that portfolio so that the gains this year are even more pronounced in terms of dollars.

Will you get a 130 percent return? You probably will not. As a matter of fact, I am likely to not see that again this year. I might see a similar number for one of my accounts, but trends are always changing. See what I did there? What I do want to leave you with, however, is those old-school investors who snub new trends and fail to learn new strategies are simply handing the game over to new investors. I for one am staying in the game.