I've been saving up $$ since 2018 (the start of my career), because I thought the market was overvalued and figured a large correction was imminent. Naturally, I didn't want to buy in at the top. Which, of course, is market timing--bad Froogal Stoodent!
Then COVID hit. At work, I increased my 401(k) contributions to get the max company match in late Feb, right after the big downturn began. Finally sent a $20k check to Vanguard in late March 2020, and put $3k into VTSAX and $3k into VBTLX. About a month and a half later, I dumped another $3k into bonds and the rest into stocks.
My YTD returns for my 401(k)? +9.55%, according to Fidelity.
My YTD returns for my personal account? I'm up to just over $22k now--a gain of $2k in 6 months!--so that's a gain of a little over 10% from inception to date.
I probably won't be able to repeat this feat of market timing, so I won't even try! Guess it's an average of 7% returns from here on out for me...