[tonupkid]

I mainly invest for the long term, but occasionally I see a share that pops up and down, and up and down. I wait for a down and buy, then sell on the next up. It's worked so far.
I have read no books about investing and do minimal research. As I see it, if there was a formula, all those authors would be following that rather than scraping a living and boring your t1ts off writing about it.

I try to think about what makes people tick, what we use every day and I look for companies that seem to understand and deliver what their customers like. I read loads of stuff (not investment related) and try to pay attention to what's going on in the world. I also look for companies with what is described as a moat. Sage is a classic example of this. I think their products are pretty crap, but as an SME try getting your books run on anything else. They also own one of the biggest online payment systems.

An example of trends is online retail. Have a look at where Amazon is heading, and Alibaba. I can't envisage us loosing our desire for online shopping anytime soon.

The ISA route makes a lot of sense. I too use this for pension, but the rules have recently changed and I believe some of the negatives attached to pension investments have lifted, and they are again worth a punt. It spreads the risk somewhat.

I'd agree that getting mortgage free is a priority. That's security if the poo hits the fan. And once the mortgage is finished you can divert what was going to the bank into your own kitty.

Good luck with it, and enjoy the ride, it'll be a roller coaster.