"Stocks for the long run"?

[Bikerdude]

Sounds familiar.

“Which leads to the critics’ third complaint: A long holding period actually increases the odds of encountering a severe bear market. And while you might have believed you were equipped to endure a 50 percent market decline, watching five years worth of earnings and contributions vanish can make you reevaluate just how brave you really are. Investors who find, too late, that they assumed more risk than they bargained for are often the ones who flee the market entirely, further endangering their long-term wealth.”


Where 'Stocks for the Long Run' Went Wrong - CBS MoneyWatch.com

 

[NW-Bound]

I am not sure what is new here. Because of the fluctuation of stocks, we all practice diversification and try to gather courage to "buy low/sell high", er, pardon, to "rebalance" to improve our return. I read nothing in the article to contradict that common strategy.

I am at 56% equity currently and not fazed, despite being down 23% from the top in Oct 07, as of market close yesterday.

PS. The market is now closed, and the MF results are in.

MF portion down 1.1%.
Stock portion down 1.3%.
Both beat S&P500 which is down 1.9% today.