Stay in the market or go to CD's?

[Pinback]

7. Trying to time the market is always a total crapshoot

and almost always a bad idea (unless you have access to a crystal ball or a reliable fortune-teller, of course).

I agree with Post #3 in this thread by marble falls — be very cautious about realizing your losses by selling equities or exchanging funds right now. Assuming your diversification strategy is sound, it makes more sense to do very little or nothing with existing allocations in a time of extreme volatility.

But if you don’t need all your cash savings for contingencies, using at least some of the $ to buy CDs is an excellent idea, especially with interest rates still quite high. Investopedia lists several CDs with various terms yielding 4.5% or more:
https://www.investopedia.com/best-cd-rates-4770214

I like the perspective of Morningstar’s Christine Benz, always a voice of sanity and an analyst who not only is brilliant but seems like a kind person (I regularly listen to her on the Morningstar podcast The Long View):

First, Do No Harm
First, what not to do: Dramatic market losses can spark real emotions (anxiety, powerlessness), and it can be tempting to take dramatic portfolio measures in response. With cash yields decent relative to recent history, the stability of money market funds or CDs might look like a tempting and reasonably profitable way to escape the cacophony of the market. You do need some liquid reserves in your portfolio (more on this in a minute), but resist the urge to shift out of stocks entirely. Such a move could buy you some short-term relief, but it will soon be replaced by another nagging worry: Is it time to get back in?

Moreover, retreating to cash only protects you from one risk—further equity losses—but it doesn’t safeguard you against other key trouble spots—specifically, inflation risk or the chance that you’ll outlive your money because your portfolio didn’t grow as much as it needed to. A better plan is to maintain a stock/bond mix that makes sense relative to your goals, life stage, and proximity to needing your money, then rebalance back to your targets periodically. A balanced asset allocation will make sense for most people approaching or in retirement, whereas a more equity-heavy mix will suit investors under 50.

- Source: What Now? An Investor’s To-Do List for Chaotic Markets, Apr 4, 2025
Much more at link: https://www.morningstar.com/portfolios/what-now-an-investors-to-do-list-chaotic-markets