Market Timing FOMO: How Missing Just Ten Days Can Wreck Your Returns

A lot of people are asking not if, but when, the market will tank. Should I get out now? Is this just another head-fake? How bad will it get, and for how long?

If you’re wrestling with these worries, you’re not alone—nearly every financial coaching client I work with brings up some version of these questions.

Right now, the S&P 500 is trading at a forward P/E ratio around 26x—well above the historic 16–19x range. It’s natural to wonder if we’re due for a correction. That leads to tough questions about when (and how much) to ‘get out’ of the market, and - of course - when and how to get back in.

But here’s what research and experience consistently show: the fundamentals haven’t changed. Successful long-term investing still comes down to three basics:

1. Focus on quality investments at reasonable prices—do your homework, then let them work.

2. Time in the market beats timing the market.

3. Let compound returns do the heavy lifting.

As Warren Buffett says, "Our favorite holding period is forever."

Why Do We Forget These Rules When Headlines Get Scary?

It’s human nature: we’re wired for action and react to uncertainty. But, as Buffett and his mentor Benjamin Graham teach, winning investors rely on:

- Patience: Investments work over years, not months.

- Continuous learning: Stay curious, stay humble.

- Ignoring the crowd: Don’t follow fear or greed. Stick to your process.

It doesn’t help that the financial industry spends billions convincing us that investing is too complicated to handle ourselves—always promoting new products for every market mood.

The Real Cost of Market Timing

Here’s the data that stops my clients in their tracks: Over nearly 23 years (2003–2025), missing just the 10 best days in the market would have cut your portfolio’s growth by more than half.

Growth of $10,000 since 2003 if not invested during the best performing trading days in the S&P 500. [missing 0 to 60 days]

Out of more than 5,000 trading days, missing fewer than 0.2% of them costs you nearly two-thirds of your long-term gains.

Some of those “best days” looked like:

- October 13, 2008: +11.6%

- March 24, 2020: +9.4%

- April 9, 2025: +9.6%

Miss 60 of those “best days,” and your account could actually end up smaller than when you started despite decades of overall market growth.

Here’s the kicker: the best days almost always come right after the worst ones. Step to the sidelines during scary times, and you’re likely to miss the very recovery that makes all the difference.

What This Means for You Right Now

Feeling anxious about the market is completely valid. The first half of 2025 saw wild swings. The S&P 500 dropped more than 15%, then hit new highs, including its third-best single day in 50 years.

Headlines love to predict disaster, but here’s what I see again and again in my practice: a client emails after a scare, wondering if they should make a big change. When we talk through their goals and what’s really driving their worries, they almost always find that staying the course—when their plan and finances are still on track—is the most powerful choice.

Your Superpower: Patience

No matter how sophisticated the headlines or how fast the world moves, patience is your greatest investing asset. The best investors don’t win because they outsmart the market; they win because they stick to their process, especially when it’s tough.

As a financial coach, I help people build the habits and mindset to navigate ups and downs. My role is to provide education and support so you can make confident, thoughtful decisions about your money, not just react to fear.

If market timing FOMO is keeping you up at night, consider working with a qualified financial professional. Check out the CFP and NAPFA websites. They’re great places to find someone who puts your interests first.

In a world full of fast takes and hot tips, the evidence is clear.

Consistent, long-term investing beats market timing.

What questions do you have about long-term investing? Let me know—I'd love to cover the topics that matter most to you in future posts.