That 1% data is mostly for the derivatives traders. I am mostly a medium term trader/investor, and invest only by taking delivery without any leverage. In terms of investing style it's a mix of fundamental and technical analysis. Mostly invest in stocks that seem to be undervalued and have decent quality based on fundamentals. However, technicals are very important to avoid any value traps. I still work full time, but do a lot of reading and research at night. I am not a day trader, hence don't need to be in front of the screen all the time. I have a decent amount of and have been investing since my school days more than a decade back. Those days used to invest through my mother's account. Would I retire and go full time into investing, yes I would.