Time in the market v Timing the market?

[bitchstewie]

I hear this phrase a lot and with things such as OEICs and IT's it makes sense as over the long term you'd hope a week will be neither here nor there.

That said, in 2008 a week most definitely was here or there, so I'm wondering how much attention people pay to either side of this "argument"?

[mikeiow]

It is nigh on impossible to really 'time the market'.....so I would say go for time in the market every day.
Lowest possible fees (using 'global trackers' versus specific Countries), drip-feed any major investment.....that ought to 'even out' any bumps & dips.

[bmwmike]

My memory of 2008 is hazy. I was overseas on a round the world trip in some real backwaters in south America as all the sh** was kicking off and prior to that had been head down in Canada late 2007. First I heard of all that was wondering where my last payments into a shares account had gone as they hadnt made it in. They had, it had just all dropped.

Anyhow, my hazy recollection is that it was more than just a week. It was all happening over several months and if someone had been drip feeding into funds through late 2007 and through 2008 into 2009 they'd have picked up some bargains and, by today at least, be up?

So time in the market most definitely, through thick and thin, just not "all in" IMO.

[Hoofy]

I suppose this is the right time to ask: are ETFs worthwhile looking at for this kind of thing?

[bitchstewie]

mikeiow said:

It is nigh on impossible to really 'time the market'.....so I would say go for time in the market every day.
Lowest possible fees (using 'global trackers' versus specific Countries), drip-feed any major investment.....that ought to 'even out' any bumps & dips.

Thank you, makes sense.

I'm not using trackers but the fees point is entirely accurate. Very new to this but already well aware that platform charges can make a huge difference to your return, and fund/IT charges but if you want a particular fund/IT those are just a fact of life