Why do experts say I shouldn't try to time the market by getting out before a crash?

Timing the market requires being right twice, when to sell and when to buy back, and the evidence shows almost no one does it consistently. The market's best days cluster shockingly close to its worst days, often within the same volatile weeks. Miss just a handful of the best days over decades and your returns can be cut dramatically, according to analyses from firms like Fidelity and JPMorgan.

When you sell to 'wait it out,' you must then decide when to re-enter, and fear usually keeps people on the sidelines until well after prices have recovered, so they sell low and buy high. Even professionals with teams and models struggle to beat a simple buy-and-hold approach after costs and taxes. The reliable edge isn't dodging downturns; it's staying invested through them and letting compounding work.