Back on Friday, February 24th, the day before Warren Buffett dropped his annual letter to shareholders, Yahoo! Finance asked me to give the young people some thoughts. Basically, it comes down to three concepts.
First, find your See's Candies or GEICO. Buffet bought these companies over 40 years ago and uses the cash flow to fund other investments. For most people that means funneling money from your day job to your portfolio. No way around this. So choose your career wisely.
Second, be flexible. Buffett said he would never invest in airlines or tech. He has done both in the last 10 years. Markets and trends change over time so don't get stuck in a rut. Have timeless principles like buying at reasonable valuations and taking money off the table when appropriate.
Third, hold on to your big winner while understanding why. Buffett bought Coca Cola, KO, after the 1987 crash at a really cheap valuation. Today the dividends are in the hundreds of millions each year. It may not be a huge grower, but over time dividends can grow and profits compound. Turtles win races often and over time.