The S&P 500 has declined about 2.5% since hitting a record high on Oct. 6, raising the question of whether it is time to buy the dip. The article argues that consistent long-term investing is often more lucrative than waiting for the perfect moment, with the index delivering average annual returns of 9.98% since 1928 despite crashes, wars and economic crises. The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) has returned an annualized 15.3% over the past 10 years and 14.94% over the 16 years since its inception. Citing Schwab research, the author notes that investing $2,000 per year as early as possible from 2005 to 2024 earned almost as much as investing at each year's lowest point, and suggests focusing on long-term plans instead of timing the market.
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S&P 500ETFSPYlong-term investing
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Related tickers and likely impact
SPY
▼ Likely negativeSPDR S&P 500 ETF
Relevance: medium
| Market | US stocks |
|---|---|
| Sector | ETF |
| Close on 10/26/2026 | 765.22 |
| Change that session | +0.69% |
QQQ
▼ Likely negativeInvesco QQQ Trust
Relevance: medium
| Market | US stocks |
|---|---|
| Sector | ETF |
| Close on 10/26/2026 | 712.11 |
| Change that session | +1.09% |
NVDA
▼ Likely negativeNvidia
Relevance: low
| Market | US stocks |
|---|---|
| Sector | Information Technology |
| Industry | Semiconductors |
| Market cap | $5.1T |
| Close on 10/26/2026 | 215.98 |
| Change that session | +2.38% |
Impact is scored by AI from the headline and may be wrong. It is not investment advice.
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