If you’ve ever waited for the “right moment” to start investing, you’re not alone, but you’re probably missing out on steady returns. However, don’t feel bad — even professional investors struggle to time the market. That’s why Jeremy Schneider, founder of Personal Finance Club and co-founder of Nectarine, a flat-fee financial advisor marketplace, encourages investors to ditch the timing game entirely.
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“‘Buy low, sell high’ is the worst advice in investing,” Schneider says. “It implies you can know when to jump in and out of an investment. The better advice to build serious wealth is ‘Buy low, buy high.'”
This isn’t some kind of trick to game the market. Schneider’s strategy is a well-documented, time-tested method called dollar-cost averaging (DCA) — a simple way to grow your money steadily that doesn’t require any kind of special foresight or market know-how. GOBankingRates spoke to Schneider as part of our Top 100 Money Experts series, and he shared his insights on how this simple strategy can make you a millionaire.
The Surprising Investors Who Perform Best
The best investors of all time aren’t the ones who figure out how to time the market. According to Schneider, the answer is both surprising and kind of funny.
“There’s an oft-quoted fact about the best investors. It’s two different types of people: dead people and people who forgot they had an account,” he said.
Why? Because they didn’t let their often messy human instincts and emotional decisions muddy their investing strategy. They simply stayed invested and let time do the work. Schneider shared this quote from legendary investor Jack Bogle: “Don’t just do something, stand there!” It may sound counterintuitive, but it works.
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What Is Dollar-Cost Averaging?
Dollar-cost averaging may sound like a complex Wall Street strategy, but it’s actually as simple as it gets. All it means is that you put a fixed amount of money into your investment account at regular intervals, no matter what the market is doing. For example, you might invest $250 per month into a total market index fund.
This way, you naturally buy more shares when prices are low and fewer when they’re high, which evens out your overall cost per share and helps minimize the impact of market volatility. In a way, DCA helps remove fear and greed from the equation.
“Periodic investing — like a payroll contribution to a 401(k) or an automated investment into your Roth IRA — is the perfect strategy for maximum wealth building,” Schneider said.
How $250 a Month Can Make You a Millionaire
Still not convinced this simple approach can grow wealth? Consider this: If you had invested $250 per month into the S&P 500 consistently for 40 years, Schneider says you’d end up a millionaire — even in a downturn.
“Your investment over this time is only $120,000,” he explains, “but the average final value is close to $2 million.”
Here’s an even more granular take:
- Worst-case scenario: If you started in 1969 and ended in 2008 — right in the financial crisis — you’d still end up with $1.23 million.
- Best-case scenario: If your 40-year run ended in 1999 at the height of the dot-com boom, you’d have more than $3.5 million.
“So stop worrying about when to jump in,” Schneider advised, “and focus on periodically buying more shares!”
How To Start Dollar-Cost Averaging Today
The best part of DCA is that you don’t need a financial advisor or a six-figure salary to get started.
Here’s how to do it:
- Pick an account: Open or use your existing Roth IRA, traditional IRA, or brokerage account.
- Choose a low-cost index fund: The S&P 500 is a popular choice for long-term growth.
- Automate your contributions: Set up a recurring monthly investment — $50, $250, whatever you can afford.
Automating your investments is like putting wealth building on autopilot. It takes willpower out of the equation.
Just Start
If you’re sitting on the sidelines waiting for the “right time” to invest, remember this: the market doesn’t wait for anyone. Dollar-cost averaging gives you a stress-free, proven way to grow wealth, even through volatility and downturns. You don’t need perfect timing. You just need to start.
This article is part of GOBankingRates’ Top 100 Money Experts series, where we spotlight expert answers to the biggest financial questions Americans are asking. Have a question of your own? Share it on our hub — and you’ll be entered for a chance to win $500.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Multi-Millionaire Says Timing the Market Is Impossible – Here’s What You Should Do Instead
