Buy more VTSMX because of this debt ceiling deadline?

[kk1]

What are the opinions of putting extra money into total stock and getting the upward swing when it recovers? Isn't it "on sale" now?

I'm thinking of doing it...

[seattlecyclone]

Hard to say. In the short term it could go down a lot (if Congress fails to raise the debt ceiling), or go back up a bit (if Congress decides to keep paying the bills). The market has already priced in the risk as it exists now. If you think the market is overestimating the risk of default, then buy now and you'll see a good quick payoff when Congress passes a debt ceiling bill.

Long term, stocks will probably be higher in 20 years than they are now. You can't go too wrong buying any time. But of course you'll be better off when you buy closer to a local minimum. Are we there yet? Impossible to tell.

[Frankies Girl]

It's marketing timing, which is usually a silly move to make, but in this case, I just can't help myself so I'm waiting a bit before buying in right now to get a bargain.

The only thing to remember is not to use money you're depending on from an emergency fund or the like. I'm using money that I intended to be invested, so I'm not hurting myself by waiting a week or so to see what happens, other than the week or so loss/gain that I'll miss out on while trying to decide when to jump in with this amount.

No one knows how low it could go or when the market will go up or down, so you're really just counting on a lucky break at this point... which is again, silly. (and I am absolutely calling myself silly for doing this, and I'm not going to make a habit of this at all)

[Michread]

We don't market time.  We dollar cost average by automatically buying the 15th and 30th of the month no matter what the price, year after year (20 years still going). 

[kyleaaa]

Markets are forward-looking, so I would say any near-term deal has been priced in for a while now. I don't think it's "on sale" by any reasonable definition of the word and I don't think it's safe to assume there will be a "recovery."

[kk1]

Yep this extra $ that i have is going to be invested anyways. I'm not depending on it. I have my emergency fund set aside.
Yes my dollar cost avg is coming out of every pay check already. This is cash that I set aside to see when i put do a lumpsum of buy when there is a sale... I agree no one knows when it's going to be the lowest price.