Almost everyone who has money in the stock market has lost money in the last year and a half. This makes it difficult to get any confidence back and have any faith that the market will go up again. Having it go down so far and so fast has probably unnerved quite a few investors.

At times like these it is hard to buy back into the market because of fear but we all know that at some point we need to get back in. Choosing that reentry point is what will ultimately separate the winners from the losers. The people who have the nerve to get back in when prices are low are the ones that will ultimately come out winners.

Averaging down your better holdings is a good thing to do but it can be quite scary too. This is especially so in a market that is in an extended free fall. So, at this time we are really no closer to knowing whether right now is the right time to average down. It seemed a while ago that the stock market had taken a big fall and it might have been the right time to average down some of your better stocks. But then the market continued to fall even further so it would have not worked out if you had invested more.

Any expert in the stock market will preach about the importance of stock diversification when you do get back in. What that entails is spreading your bets around on a variety of stocks rather than putting all your eggs in one basket. This is important because you want to protect yourself from picking one really bad stock and then losing most or even all of your money.

Even if you have been properly diversified, you have most likely lost money in this terrible environment. All investments types have suffered as well as jobs and anything else related to the economy. This will not last forever though, and at some point it will be the right time to get back in. Those that are able to recognize the correct reentry point will stand the best chance of cashing in and actually making money.

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