Editor's note: Don't overthink your decisions...

Trailing stops and position sizing are key first steps to protecting your wealth. But to thrive amid the market volatility we're facing today, you need to have an ironclad plan for all of your investments...

While that sounds daunting, understanding the fundamentals of stocks will provide immense clarity about when to invest and when to stay away. 

In today's Masters Series, adapted from the December 20, 2023 issue of the free DailyWealth e-letter, our founder Porter Stansberry shares a few basic investing rules that will help you avoid overcomplicating your strategy...

The Simplest Way to Get Rich

By Porter Stansberry, founder, Stansberry Research

Make sure you save a copy of this letter.

It's a step-by-step, paint-by-numbers guide to making a fortune in stocks.

No, I can't promise that your investments will pan out as well as a few of mine have. But I believe anyone is capable of becoming a world-class investor. You only need to know three things.

These are the things I know work – no matter what else is happening in the world or in the markets.

Let me explain...

Investing is a simple game.

The goal is to get the most in return for having given the least in exchange. Any serious study of this process will reveal that just a few variables control the outcome.

First, the amount of capital that's invested is important. Thus, the cardinal rule is: Don't lose money. Money lost cannot be invested and will not compound.

Second, time matters. The duration an investment may be held continuously with dividends reinvested is critical.

And the third important factor is the rate of compound growth.

What's funny about this list is how simple the game really is... and how few people pay any attention to the most basic rules. I doubt many folks consider these variables before they buy a stock. Most people will only consider, "Will this stock go up? By how much? And when should I sell?"

The questions they should be asking are almost the complete opposite.

They should try to figure out...

1. How fast are these shares likely to compound, assuming I reinvest all of the dividends?

2. How long will I be able to hold this company safely?

3. And most important, what's the most I can safely pay for this stock?

Now, I share these ideas with a large amount of trepidation...

These aren't ideas that sell newsletters. Some folks might expect me to deliver the name of a stock that will surely double in the next month, then double again next year.

Believe me, if it were that easy, I'd oblige. But the truth is a bit more complicated...

There's one exception... one sure way to get rich. And that is to buy capital-efficient businesses that have long-lived products and are capable of increasing payouts year after year.

This approach is, without question, the best way to invest. It's exactly the approach that legendary investors like Warren Buffett use. But it's difficult to explain. Worst of all... once you understand how it works, it's just too simple.

Here's all you need to do... Buy the kind of companies that require very little capital to operate and grow their businesses and therefore produce excess capital that they return to their owners (the shareholders). Then, reinvest that capital into more shares. Rinse and repeat. It's not much harder than washing your hair.

And that means it's boring. But the truth is, using this kind of strategy over time will produce returns that dwarf the gains you're likely to make speculating – even if you're a great speculator.

Best of all, my approach, which is based on capital efficiency, is totally safe and requires almost zero effort. The whole trick lies in understanding which companies are capital efficient and have good long-term prospects.

Once you know that, you only buy when you can get the shares at such a low price that they essentially carry no risk.

So... how much should you pay for a stock like this or any other long-term investment? Because the first rule of investing is "don't lose money," this ends up being the most important variable. Remember... money you lose doesn't compound.

Here's an easy rule of thumb to use when trying to figure out a safe price to pay for a stock... Just figure out how much money it would take to buy back every share at the current market price and add in the total net debt of the company.

The number you'll end up with is called enterprise value. That's the figure it would cost (in theory) for the company to buy itself.

Next, figure out if there's any realistic way the company could afford to buy itself. (To be fair, few companies actually go private this way... But bear with me.)

Imagine a company with an enterprise value of $15 billion. For the company to borrow this much money, it would have to afford roughly $1 billion a year in interest payments (assuming 7% interest).

If that's more than its operating income... it can't currently afford to buy itself. But if its operating income covers that amount, you've got yourself a winner. And your chances are better when shares are cheaper, of course – because this pushes down the enterprise value.

Doing this kind of analysis shows whether a company could realistically repay all of its debts and shares. Assuming it can afford to do both, there's no fundamental difference between the risk of its stock and the risk in its bonds – because all the bonds and shares could be repurchased.

On a fundamental basis, that means you're getting all the upside of the shares – all the benefits of being an owner – with the same low risk of being a creditor.

I call this buying at a "no risk" price. There's no additional risk to buying the equity compared with the debt.

Regards,

Porter Stansberry

Editor's note: This capital-efficiency approach will improve your investment results, but Porter stresses that doesn't mean it's time to breathe a sigh of relief...

While the market has calmed down from the initial impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs, Porter says this isn't the time to become complacent about your investments. He believes the window of opportunity to capitalize on this recovery period is closing soon.

That's why he's going on camera on Thursday, June 5 to reveal how you can take advantage of this unique moment before it's over. Click here to get the full story...