That is a decision that each individual needs to consider and it is not the purpose of this blog to make that decision for you. Perhaps an analogy might be helpful. Modern commercial aviation has been described as seemingly endless periods of utter boredom, punctuated by moments of total panic. It is easy to believe that pilots may be over paid while the aircraft appears to be on auto-pilot, and in your heart of hearts you think the pilot is either drinking coffee or chatting up the flight attendants. Of course, the minute turbulence develops or the ever present issues of takeoffs and landings, you desperately want the best pilot in the industry.
The same may said of the markets. When the averages appear to be drifting, with minor bumps, in a generally positive direction, who needs help? But, when there has been a strong rally, and you are thinking of going all in, or during a sharp decline, with no bottom in sight, and you are thinking of selling everything, an experienced advisor might be able to provide some balance to the decision making process.
Walter J. Kirchberger, CFA