Interview with Sylvain

Sylvain has been an independent trader since 2008 and owner of the En Bourse website! His vision of trading is like him: simple and logical. He earns his living by working 3 hours a day and his activity allows him to live and work anywhere in the world. Thank you Sylvain for deciding to join the circle of dividendes.ch contributors and for taking the time to answer my questions.

Why did you decide to write for dividendes.ch?

dividendes.ch is a site that I have known and read for many years. I appreciate the truly serious and qualitative approach. As a financial editor, I can only be happy to be able to share a little of my experience here, hoping to contribute a small stone to the building, but also new opinions on this constantly evolving market that is the stock market.

What do you like about the growing dividend strategy?

This is a strategy that I have adopted myself for over 10 years, and I have only been able to note its effectiveness. As an "active" trader, I look for reliable and effective ways to place my capital gains made in my short-term trading, and dividends, particularly from companies called "dividend aristocrats" are one of the best ways I have been able to find.

How did you come to follow this strategy?

When I discovered the power of what is called compound interest, and the historical reliability of dividend yields. The uninformed stock market speculator only remembers stock market crashes, because the stock market is only talked about in the media when everything is going badly. This is forgetting that in the long term, it is simply the best investment that exists with real estate, but more accessible, and less time-consuming. I also realized that the earlier you started, the more the final result was exponentially higher at retirement time, so I started as soon as I could.

How long have you been investing in the stock market?

Since 2002-2003. This activity has provided me with a full-time living since the end of 2008. I am still as passionate as ever and cannot see myself doing anything else, for the total freedom and financial independence it brings.

Why did you decide one day to invest your money in stocks?

By chance. I was returning from a trip to the United States, and I had some money left to change. I went to a currency exchange office, and seeing the rates constantly changing, I realized that you could make a profit by doing the opposite at the right time. I started to get interested in the subject (forex) and then I drifted into stocks.

Do you remember your first purchase?

Yes, it was on the forex, and on the internet. The very beginnings of online brokerage. A very quick round trip, without risk. My heart was beating at 150! Since then I have learned to moderate my emotions, which is for me the foundation of profitable trading, whatever the style used.