The concept of market timing is very seductive. After all, who wouldn’t want to be in the market during the good times and out of
the market during the down times? Market timing is just like a crapshoot. Sure, you may get lucky and wind up gaining more than you
anticipated. Or, perhaps, you happened to buy into a stock just before
it skyrocketed. But how often does that happen? More importantly,
what happens when you don’t time the market well?
The key to successful investing isn’t timing the market; it’s time
in the market. Investing and staying invested is a long-term way to
build your future. Even when the market is down, or going through
some turbulent times, it’s better to stay invested than to sell and try to
buy later. Especially when faced with short-term market corrections,
getting out of the market may prove to be more devastating than
sticking it out.