Should I invest in ETFs now or wait for a market correction?

Should I invest in ETFs now or wait for a market correction?

A phased or structured approach is often more practical than trying to choose a single entry point.

By Elke Brink, PSG Wealth

·

3 Jun 2026, 04:06

With high gold prices and strong recent equity performance, is it wise to enter the exchange-traded fund (ETF) market for discretionary investment now, or should I wait for the expected market correction and keep my funds in an income fund or money market in the meantime?

Dear reader,

Trying to predict the perfect moment to enter the market is one of the most difficult aspects of investing, even for experienced investors.

Markets can remain elevated for far longer than anticipated, and waiting for the “right” correction often leads investors to miss valuable long-term growth opportunities.

Read:

Market downturns: What is a correction and why it’s normal
Noise is not a strategy: Why disciplined investors ignore political theatre

One of the most important principles in investing is to avoid trying to time markets. Research consistently shows that missing only a handful of the market’s best-performing days can materially reduce long-term investment returns.

Unfortunately, those strongest recovery days often occur very close to periods of market weakness and uncertainty, making them almost impossible to predict consistently.

The impact of missing the 10 best days since 1990

Source: Newsroom

For this reason, remaining invested through market cycles is generally more effective than attempting to move in and out of markets based on short-term expectations.

At a time when the world is rapidly evolving through geopolitical shifts, artificial intelligence, changing interest-rate cycles and structural economic changes, relying solely on index exposure risks anchoring portfolios too heavily to yesterday’s winners rather than tomorrow’s opportunities.

Read:

Are you a tortoise or a hawk investor?
The market doesn’t care what you think
Strategy over speculation: The case for staying invested

For investors entering the market today, a balanced approach may therefore be more appropriate than an “all-in” passive allocation or sitting entirely in cash waiting for a correction.

Phasing investments into the market over time – while temporarily holding some capital in money market or income funds – can help reduce emotional decision-making and timing risk.

Ultimately, successful investing is usually less about finding the perfect entry point and more about building a disciplined, diversified strategy that can remain resilient across different market environments.

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