On Timing the Stock Market

Perhaps the only stock investing advice one ever needs...

"Most mortals can't time the markets consistently well enough to make the strategy worthwhile.  And because of the vagaries of human emotions, the act of trying to time the stock market often produces far worse results than just buying a diversified bundle of stocks and holding them for the long haul.  People tend to sell in a panic at the bottom and buy in a flush of confidence at the top...the reason is that markets are efficient...in an efficient market at any point in time the actual price of a security will be a good estimate of its intrinsic value...As a result, the best stock-buying strategy is to find great companies, buy them now and hold them for a long time."

Time The Market?  Try Roulette Instead
by James Glassman
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/the-best-time-to-buy-or-sell-stocks/2011/11/09/gIQAEb86FN_story.html