Summary of Investing for the Long Run

The bottom line

While stocks make an attractive investment in the long run, stock returns are not guaranteed and tend to be volatile in the short term. That is why advisors do not recommend that you invest in stocks to achieve your short-term goals. To be effective, you would invest in stocks only to meet long-term objectives that are at least five years away. And the longer you invest, the greater your chances of achieving the types of returns that make investing in stocks worthwhile.