Investing is about taking risks, and when you do that, you're entitled to expect a return that's commensurate with the level of risk you take. But if you're not careful, your own mistakes can prevent you from achieving the return that should be yours.
In politics, Republicans typically have an awful time saying nice things about Democrats, and vice versa. And when you're rooting for a basketball team, the referees always seem to favor the other side. When it comes to investing, many buy-and-hold investors think market timers are grossly misguided, and at the same time many timers just can't understand why buy-and-holders leave their portfolios exposed to potentially huge market risks.
Whether you're young and just starting out, you're approaching mid-life and accumulating savings or you're nearing retirement age, you can put a huge number of extra dollars in your pocket and in the pockets of your heirs if you just do a few things right.
Investing is about taking risks, and when you do that, you’re entitled to expect a return that’s commensurate with the level of risk you take. But if you’re not careful, your own mistakes can prevent you from achieving the return that should be yours.
We've been preaching the merits of wide stock market diversification for many years, and the advantages should be painfully obvious these days after the bear market that started in 2000. Any investor who loaded up on growth stocks or technology funds a few years ago should now be able to see the advantage of owning some other kinds of assets as well.