It's all timing, isn't it? If you sell, you are timing such that you can repurchase later at a lower price and miss some of the losses. But if you hold, you are still timing that there will be a recovery, and if there isn't you will accrue some losses. Timing either way-- can't avoid it.
I do not feel that it is right that buy and hold is always the best answer. Many stocks are on a decline to zero. (You could say all stocks are, given a long enough time frame.)
My best guess is to try to figure when the market becomes poor and it really is best to stay away from stocks in large proportion of one's investments for an extended time. I tend to not like to be wrong when I get out but the market makes gains. But being wrong at this might be worse than staying in when the market continues to lose.
Right now I am guessing that weakening toward September is fairly normal, so I am holding in my pink issues. But I am making a little change toward conservative in my 401k, which I will probably reverse by November.
But don't listen to me. My track record ain't great.
News 
Market Data 
Discover 
