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Is shorting the market in order? I am not a professional, so, as in the disclaimer, do not take me seriously. Nonetheless, true confessions: I have tried it and have gained a little more than I have lost in the process. Maybe I was just lucky. It is not recommended for any funds one cannot afford to lose, and in my own case there was a good deal of nail-biting at times. Still, if experimental forays into this very risky side of investing seem to be your cup of tea, who am I to say not to put your toe into the murky water? Another possibility might be to rely on one's financial advisor for explicit guidance and then enter this arena only if his or her record of success with short-selling is impressive.
If in doubt, though, about the wisdom of investing long in even good company stock shares, there is another course: wait. On average, stock markets have provided excellent buying opportunities about every four years. We enjoyed drops that met or almost met bear market proportions in 2008-2009 and in 2013. Within the next couple years, though there are no guarantees (and in the 1990s, for example, stocks just continued year after year to go up to absurdly elevated levels), chances are good we shall again see big drops, and then the pickins' will likely be juicy.
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