[Also posted to the Index Investing board.]

Both the Dow and the S&P 500 hit record highs today.

The people who have reaped the rewards of what the market has delivered over the last 15 years are the people who stayed fully invested in index funds through

* Brexit in 2016
* the 2018 Nasdaq near bear-market
* the 2020 Pandemic bear market when the US unemployment rate hit 14%
* war in Ukraine
* the 2022 bear market
* Israel/Hamas war
* skyrocketing interest rates with the 10-year T-bill hitting 5%
* continual declarations over the years that the market was overvalued

The key to succeeding in the market is patience that is measured in years, discipline, and temperament. Lots of intellectuals sound smart when predicting crashes and poor returns ahead. But when it comes to investing, temperament beats intellect. It's best not to celebrate too much when the market is going up, and not to be crestfallen when the market goes down. Just continue to be even-tempered through the ups and downs, and ignore the gloom and doomers.