Um... you are just making my point for me. You say you would have lost a ton of money if you had invested at a certain time, but ignore the fact that the exact opposite would have happened had you selected a different time period 6 months later.

Most people should be dollar cost averaging, be it through their 401k or any other investment vehicle.

The biggest thing is do your homework. Even do your homework on the people that are helping you with the homework.

Very good advice! :thumb:

I will tell you now "asset allocation" is the key to long term finacial success. A good financial planner will help you put together a good solid portifolio. Remember 3 things..

1. No one cares about your money more than you, so learn about money
2. It's not what you make, it's what you keep
3. The hardest part of making money in the market is the waiting.

As far as mutual funds go, stock mutual funds are 10-15 year investments unless you are lump sum investing, which I would advise you not to do.

Why would you think we would keep going down?

Keep in mind that everyone who said the first dip down, way back last year, was screaming that it was a buying opportunity. Those very same people now are screaming things will still go lower and the end of the world is upon us.

The biggest problem is you don't "hit" a bottom. That is a daytrading mentality. Bottoms are "formed" over time.

My guess is we have probably seen the lows. We will back and fill, maybe retest the lows even, over the next month or two, then we will get a strong move which should start the first leg of the next bull market based on stronger than expected x-mas shopping due to oil and energy easing.

Couple that with the fact that the Fed and now the rest of the world have all but backstopped the market, it is clear that what has been driving us down will be resolved and removed from the equation.