Timing the marking is a bad idea, but getting good value for your money is a good idea, and has some element of timing. Don't try to figure out when prices are

Timing the marking is a bad idea, but getting good value for your money is a good idea, and has some element of timing. Don't try to figure out when prices are low, figure out when value is high. For instance, relatively low P/E, high dividend yield, high ROI, high ROE, etc. If you're looking to invest in an index fund, check out the S&P 500 historical P/E: https://www.macrotrends.net/2577/sp-500-pe-ratio-price-to-earnings-chart https://www.macrotrends.net/2577/sp-500-pe-ratio-price-to-ea... There's no shame in holding cash when value is low. People like Buffett are known for doing it. There are no called strikes in investing, so don't swing at mediocre pitches. But when value is high, you'd better swing for the fences, because that doesn't happen all that often.