Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again.<\/strong>\u00a0In 2009, a “Double Down” signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia.\u00a0For the first time in years, that same “Total Conviction” signal is flashing for a company 1\/100th the size of Nvidia.\u00a0Continue \u00bb<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n The issue of temperament is where Buffett and Pooh intersect. That’s because the S&P 500 index<\/strong>‘s (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) history shows that Wall Street switches between bull and bear markets in a zigzag fashion, while generally moving higher over time. The chart below shows that simply buying and holding the S&P 500 index<\/a> would have yielded a positive long-term outcome if you had the temperament to do nothing while it gyrated in the short term. <\/p>\n In fact, Warren Buffett has actually suggested that most investors would be better off just buying the S&P 500 index and… doing nothing. That’s not entirely true; Buffett would likely recommend continuing to regularly buy an S&P 500 index ETF, such as SPDR S&P 500 ETF<\/strong> (NYSEMKT: SPY) or Vanguard S&P 500 ETF<\/strong> (NYSEMKT: VOO), regardless of market conditions. <\/p>\n Think long term, even when Wall Street is thinking short term <\/p>\n Buying every month (or at another regular interval) is known as dollar-cost averaging, which can be a powerful wealth-building tool. But the real key is to avoid market timing, or trying to buy and sell to take advantage of short-term price movements. That is difficult, if not impossible, to do successfully over the long term. Market timing would be one of the “urges” that get investors into trouble. And if you have the right temperament, 50 years of Wall Street history says you shouldn’t do it. <\/p>\n Instead, you should channel your inner Winnie the Pooh and do nothing. Well, nothing other than sticking to the same investment plan you had before the bear market downturn. In the end, buying and holding for the long term has a pretty incredible 50-year track record. <\/p>\n Should you buy stock in Vanguard S&P 500 ETF right now? <\/p>\n Before you buy stock in\u00a0Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, consider this: <\/p>\n The Motley Fool\u00a0Stock Advisor\u00a0analyst team just identified what they believe are the\u00a010 best stocks<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0for investors to buy now\u2026 and\u00a0Vanguard S&P 500 ETF\u00a0wasn’t one of them.\u00a0The 10 stocks that made the cut are built for long-term growth and could produce monster returns in the coming years. <\/p>\n Consider when\u00a0Netflix<\/strong>\u00a0made this list on December 17, 2004… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation,\u00a0you’d have $421,997<\/strong>!*\u00a0Or\u00a0when\u00a0Nvidia<\/strong>\u00a0made this list on April 15, 2005… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation,\u00a0you’d have $1,413,876<\/strong>!* <\/p>\n That performance is why people listen. With a track record of\u00a0beating the S&P 500 by nearly 5x<\/strong>,\u00a0Stock Advisor\u00a0offers a distinct advantage. Don’t miss the latest top 10 list, available with\u00a0Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built for the long haul. <\/p>\n See the 10 stocks \u00bb<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n *Stock Advisor returns as of September 5, 2026. <\/p>\n Reuben Gregg Brewer<\/a> has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Berkshire Hathaway and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/a> Image source: Getty Images. <\/p>\n
<\/a> ^SPX<\/a> data by YCharts<\/a> <\/p>\n