Market's down! Should you market time it?

The temptation is surely there. I'm tempted myself. I had a couple of investments pending; I've put them on hold for a bit thinking "Hey, I can make an extra percentage here or there by investing nearer the market bottom."

Don't market time your investments. If you're going to invest, get the money into the market. You'll hear people say "Your return is much higher if you miss the X worst days." That stat is exactly as meaningful as the opposing idea that "Your return is much lower if you miss the X best days" in the market.

I ran across an interesting graphic while taking the risk capacity survey on Index Fund Advisors. It drove the point home because I've considered subscribing to a few of these, including a free trial subscription to ValueLine. I still read ValueLine stock reports at the local library, and I still occasionally listen to the Moneytalk radio show.

And yet I've always wondered how their investment ideas compare to the market. Check this out: