What the media is writing about why the stock market is opening and closing at whatever level is pure guesswork, at best.  Have you noticed that often the same circumstance or instance is listed and/or credited for the market’s upturn AND downturn?

Let’s get one thing straight.  The stock market is fueled by a collection of buyers and sellers.  When there are more buyers than sellers, the market goes up and vice-versa.  When investors act on their fear by selling, the markets go down.  When investors act on their hope by buying the market goes up.

So don’t be swayed by the media’s headline that the big 3 auto bailout, for example, caused the market to go up or down.  Don’t be convinced that the election of Barack Obama will be the cause of any day’s movement.

We are investors who are shell-shocked, period.  Yet, smart investors are looking for signs of opportunity, and this may be the best such opportunity in the past 40 years for opportunistic buying.  Scared investors often wait for signs of stability before investing new money, thus losing the majority of the upticks/recovery.  More on that later.

Yet today’s message is advice NOT to read or be influenced by the media, and its’ headlines.  It’s laughable!  Let’s make a smart investment plan and work it.