[Rob Channell]

I'm kinda leaning towards a contrarion sort of investor strategy.

First off I have a while(I hope) before I will need any of my retirement funds.

I figure the big guys do their thing first and then everyone else follows as the information gets out. Since I am a small investor I will be one of the last to know. So if the market takes a big hit they sell while it is still close to high and my sale will come later when it has dropped substantially. OK, so now it has dropped substantially and may continue to do so for a few more months (or years). I can try to time the market or I can just keep going in and be in for the next time it changes direction instead of jumping on later.

So when they are selling because the market is dropping I am thinking buy now because I will be picking it up cheaper and cheaper on the way down. Then I'll already be in when it bottoms out and rebounds instead of missing out on the large early gains that may occur when the market changes direction.

This is JMO and I stink at picking stocks. My main interest is in several Vanguard mutual funds as opposed to individual stocks. (Yes, I do know the funds hold positions in stocks. It's just that there's some goober interested in that stuff pickin'em instead of me).