Waiting for the right moment to invest feels prudent, but the historical record shows it has usually been costly. Across more than 150 years of S&P 500 data, the odds of a positive return rose the longer an investor stayed in the market. Even through three of the worst stretches in market history, investors who kept contributing steadily came out ahead. The decision that matters most is not when to invest but whether to keep investing.

Structured products let you define in advance how much market upside you want and how much downside you are willing to absorb. Here is how floors, caps and enhanced participation work, and what to weigh first.

Markets have delivered strong long-term returns, but the average investor has not captured them. Research from Morningstar, Vanguard and Russell Investments finds a persistent gap, estimated at 1.2% to 2.3% annually, between fund returns and what investors actually earn. The cause is behavioral: loss aversion, recency bias and overconfidence drive investors to sell after declines and buy back in after rallies. A written plan, a consistent review process and an objective outside perspective are the factors shown to help narrow the gap.