Always keeping some cash available can be a great strategy for more experienced investors, Fool contributor Tim Beyers says in the following video.
How so? First, having cash can be a boon for those who spend time scouring the stock market for big opportunities since you'd need not sell a good position in order to "trade up," as it were. Second, a bounty of cash -- 10% or even 20% of your portfolio -- offers protection for those inevitable occasions when a stock you believe in fails to live up to your hopes, Tim says.
Of course, investing to avoid the worst-case scenario isn't ideal. Keeping excess cash on hand only makes sense if you plan to use it when the right opportunity arises, like when Tim opened a large position in Netflix LEAPS in May 2012. Today, he's considering a similar position in Take-Two Interactive (TTWO -0.13%) as the gamer takes the hit Grand Theft Auto V to new platforms and turns the online version into a consistent profit producer.
It's a potentially huge opportunity. Reports have Take-Two's Rockstar subsidiary porting GTA V not only to the PC but also Sony's PS4 and Microsoft's Xbox One. Mixing in new downloadable content (DLC) and a continuously improving online experience could give a nitrous oxide boost to growth
Now it's your turn to weigh in. What's your strategy for investing in stocks? Do you prefer to be fully invested, or do you pick your spots? Please watch the video to get Tim's full take and then leave a comment to let us know whether you would buy, sell, or short Take-Two Interactive stock at current prices.
