Take Advantage of Low Prices on Quality Stocks: Edward Jones Chief Market Strategist

“The market will recover. It always does. Just no one knows when,” Alan F. Skrainka, chief market strategist for Edward Jones told the Associated Press. “The important thing is to focus on the things that you can control, like the amount you’re investing and the quality of the investments that you’re buying.”

Skrainka added: “Bad news is the long-term investor’s best friend because that’s when you get to invest more at lower prices.”

And in spite of the market’s incredible volatility in recent weeks, the chief market strategist still advised rebalancing holdings only once a year in order to avoid the risk of expanding equity holdings at the height of the market and contracting them at the bottom.

But for those investors who are extremely nervous about the markets, Skrainka suggests moving more money into broadly diversified and growth and income mutual funds.

And for those investors who would prefer to re-enter the market when it shows signs of prolonged stability, Skrainka said that by the time investors move back in, the market may already be topping off.