I've been looking for deals.... This made me really cautious.... I've sold all but one position.....
I think the market was a little..... I strongly doubt.....
I'd guess.....
.....hopefully find good companies at bargains prices. Do it all again in another few years when the market tops again.....
Doing the opposite of everyone else, it's almost guaranteed mustachianism.... or at least buffetism: "when others are greedy, i am fearful. when others are fearful, i am greedy."
Sorry to single you out on your first post, but take some time to read the above portion of your post and ask yourself these questions:
1. What information do I have that isn't available to every other person in the investment world? If nothing, then why has the market unfairly priced (whether it's a 'bargain' or 'overpriced' doesn't matter) these securities?
2. It is definitely not "Mustachian" to sell when the market drops and then buy back in once it's at it's peak.
3. Buffett would tell you you're a fool. He'd tell you to invest in index funds and worry about maximizing your personal utility to increase income and decreasing your expenses to have more money to invest in said index funds.
4. A very, very small number of days account for ALL stock market growth. Better not be out of the market during these days! I don't have a crystal ball, but maybe you do!
5. If professional mutual fund managers cannot outperform a comparable index with comparable risk, what makes you think you can? They have access to the best software and brains in the business. Maybe you do too, but I highly doubt it or else you would be busy working on the Street and not posting to the MMM forums.
I know this comes across as me being a prick, but I'm just trying to help you and the rest of the readers out. Market timing, stock picking, individual security investing and a million other strategies that all have elements of active investing are a loser's game. I don't want you to lose, I want you to get to FIRE ASAP!
Here is a good article with plenty of academic research cited about why you can't win with timing the market.
http://cashcowcouple.com/investing/market-timing-always-losing-game/Good luck!