Investment "advice" - DU, Where is the bottom in all of this?

[leftist.]

I'm asking for purely selfish reasons - I have money on the sidelines, I have a round of dollar-cost-averaging coming up, and I can't help but think that I need to put in a little more than I usually do to take advantage of this decline. Let me also add that I have confidence that democrats will win big in November and history shows that's always a good thing for markets.

There are lots of smart people here, much smarter than myself, so tell me what you think.

The usual "IANAL" caveats apply of course, and I put "advice" in quotes so that no one thinks that whatever is posted here is absolute fact because obviously things can and do change.

[phantom power]

1. What is your planning horizon?

[leftist.]

2. I've got a lot of time

30+ years easy. I've been been DCA'ing in at responsible levels. As I wrote above though, I can't help but think I need to go a little extra in this time around to take advantage of this decline. I've seen lots of other posts on DU today to that effect as well.

[phantom power]

3. Then I would (tentatively) call that a buying opportunity...

Unless (like me) you suspect that peak oil and climate change are going to kill us all anyway, in which case I'm not sure it matters how you play with your money. FWIW, I'm keeping the vast majority of my money in the market. My planning horizon is at least 20 years.

I've got some gold coins too. Just in case. Maybe they will extend my life-span by a few months, or until the local barbarian warlords realize I have them, at which point I'll be killed and looted.

[On the Road]

4. We Don't Know Yet

Based on volatility indicators, it looks like tomorrow might be a big up day. But we won't know until it starts to happen, and it may be short-lived.

The bailout may prevent a complete meltdown, but even if so, the recession has probably not reached its bottom. It's worth waiting for a long-term investment IMO.

[leftist.]

6. I'm inclined to agree with you about tomorrow.

I don't do this for a living, but I see tomorrow opening down (presenting an opportunity) and then recovering. Like you said though, we won't know until then and another bailout vote would change things as well.

[gravity]

5. I bought some today

Blue chip stocks that have no chance of going bankrupt.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

7. Yep - the blue chip stocks are the way to go....

n/t

[leftist.]

8. Bump for the night shift

:)

[sixmile]

9. Short the S&P

[PerfectSage]

10. The 4 year cycle low pattern goes back to the 1940's

Every 4 years it's either a bear market bottom (2002)or a major correction in a bull market(2006 or 1998).

The last one was in 2006 and the next is due in 2010. The stock market went into a bear market in Jan/2008 so my guess is oct 2010 will be the bottom of this bear market.