With a recession in store for the last half of the year, developing a stock market strategy geared to multiple scenarios is imperative. Individuals who park some of their capital in brokerage accounts gain security by paying off credit card balances and freeing up more money for buying stocks and expanding their portfolios. Other prudent methods include dollar cost averaging (DCA), identifying trends with moving averages, studying company fundamentals, staying informed about economic news, learning the most recent financial forecasts, and not over trading. 

There's no magic bullet when it comes to acquiring equity shares or other kinds of assets. But there are several effective ways to increase the probability of long-term success. Here are pertinent details about each technique.

Pay Off High-Interest Cards with a Personal Loan

It's always wise to get personal finances in order before putting an investment plan into action. The move is an excellent strategy for freeing up capital for stock investing. What's the easiest method for paying off high-interest cards and other obligations in a hurry? Taking out a personal loan can be the ideal approach, and it's used by millions of hardworking adults every year.

Credit cards are notorious for coming with higher-than-normal interest rates, so it makes perfect sense to obliterate card debt from your financial radar. Plus, applying for personal loans can be done entirely online and takes just a few minutes. You can get results and decisions quickly and find out how much lenders are willing to offer, along with interest rates and terms.

Use Moving Averages to Spot Trends

Moving averages are the workhorses of the investing world. There are numerous reasons people have fallen in love with MAs, but it's mostly about their simplicity and straightforward way of delivering clear predictions. While they aren't perfect, long-term price averages do a decent job of revealing whether a given stock is rising or falling in value for a designated period.

You could explore the trend of a share's movement by comparing the 200-day moving average to the 50-day line on the same chart. Generally, when the smaller-number line (in this case, the 50-day) rises above the larger-number line (the 200-day in this example), prices are entering or about to enter an upward cycle of movement. The converse also applies. Consider employing the 50 and 200-day trendlines to see where your favorite stocks are in the general scheme of things.

Look for Solid Fundamentals

Technical analysis should not be used as a stand-alone tool. That's why so many experience stock investing enthusiasts combine numerical studies with fundamental research on individual companies. Continuing with the above example, suppose the moving average indicates an upward trend.

Then, upon further analysis, you find that the company has recently filed for bankruptcy, undergone a complete change of management, and is involved in several consumer-initiated lawsuits as a defendant. That upward trend is not so attractive in light of the fundamentals. The new information would likely cause you to reconsider purchasing that corporation’s shares.

Study Published Forecasts

The beauty of using online resources is that there's so much relevant data available for investors to use. Various government agencies and financial institutions publish economic and other forecasts. Most major brokerage firms include such information on the News or Educational sections of their sites.

A quick search turns up short-term and long-term predictions for the strength of the major currencies, the rate of inflation, real estate trends, precious metal per-ounce prices, stock index movement, and much more. Don't miss these free resources when researching various investments, like stocks, forex, commodities, and others.

Avoid Over Trading

Engaging in too much buying or selling is one of the biggest pitfalls for active investors. Unfortunately, too many otherwise rational people believe that sitting out a whipsaw market is not an option. It is usually very wise to go to cash or just let long-term positions ride when the markets start behaving erratically. Consider doing what experienced traders do and know when to stay out of choppy waters.

Sideway trends and contradictory indicators (like the conflicting technical and fundamental data in the hypothetical example above) are signs to slow down or stop buying securities until conditions improve. During the lull, practice your skills on a simulator, read informative books, and catch up on economic and financial news.