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Market corrections often cause investors to abandon their investment plan, moving out of stocks with the intention of moving back in when things seem better—often to disastrous results.
The chart below compares the 15 year returns of equity investors (S&P 500 Index) who remained invested over the entire period to those who missed just the best 10, 30, 60 or 90 trading days:
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The patient investor who remained invested during the entire 15 year period received the highest average annualized return of 8.0% per year.
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The investor who missed the best 30 trading days over this 15 year period saw his return turn negative to -2.6%.
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Amazingly, an investor needed only to miss the best 60 days for his return to continue to plummet.
Investors who understand that timing the market is a loser's game will be less prone to reacting to short-term extremes in the market and more likely to adhere to their long-term investment plan.
The Danger of Trying to Time the Market (15 Year Average Annual Returns, 1995-2009)
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