TGIF everybody. It's really starting to get to be a broken record out there in terms of what these markets are doing from day-to-day. Same thing over and over again, but it's not going to last long. The major averages are going to make a big move soon, and when they do, the move is going to catch a lot of investors and traders on the wrong side of it. I talk to a lot of people in the business every day, and the consensus seems to be about 50/50. Although I do trust those who think the markets are going lower soon, the truth is anything can happen. Economic data says no pain yet. Technical charts say lower levels. Fed says no problems. Earnings say blue skies ahead. Analysts say be careful. All I can say is buy good companies and sit on them. I think Buffett would say the same thing. I get in these conversations at least a few times a month where people as if they should get into the market, get out of the market or just keep holding what they've got. My answer is always the same. When we're in the early stages of a new bull market, buy all the good companies you can - and then hold them forever. When we're in an ongoing bull market, keep on keeping on. But, when we're in the latter stages of a bull market - around 6-8 years of a bull market - it's time to start getting less aggressive and waiting for another big correction before getting aggressive again. Investing is a marathon, not a sprint. So if you're young enough, or old enough for that matter, and you're able to look at the stock market in seven year cycles or so, then it's a lot easier to make decisions. Look at this monthly chart of the DOW Jones Industrial Average going all the way back to 1980. See what I mean? So many times investors get so caught up in the now when investing in the stock market should be viewed like buying and holding real estate. Just think of all those people you know who have exercised this strategy in stocks and/or real estate, and you'll see that in the long run buying and holding good companies is always going to be the best strategy in the end. I brought this up today because more often than not, traders and investors tend to not be able to see the forest for the trees, so it's not a bad idea sometimes to take a step back, take a look at one's long-term strategy, and adjust it from there. There's a ton of value in identifying good quality companies that are either fundamentally undervalued, or offering early stage growth opportunities. Think about when Apple (AAPL) was at $15 per share. How about Amazon (AMZN) when it was $15? There's a lot of services out there that can help you identify long-term buy and hold candidates that are good quality companies. I've referenced one of them here a few times already this week. If you don't have the time or knowledge to uncover good companies that are either fundamentally or technically attractive, it's probably worth spending some money on one. Consider it an investment in your investments.