Why Timing Fails

Every investor fantasizes about buying the dip and selling the peak. In practice, it almost never works. One study tracked three investors over 20 years: one with perfect timing, one who invested immediately each year, and one with the worst possible timing.

The surprise? Even the worst-timer, who invested at every single market peak, still made money over those 20 years. The only person who lost was the one who never invested at all. Time in the market beats timing the market.