Q. I’ve always dollar cost averaged into my stocks and mutual funds, but with the market being so unreliable, I’m wondering if I should buy more now? Or what?
Stocks slipped Thursday as a three-day rally ran out of steam. A surge in oil prices also slowed down, and consumer stocks fell after Wal-Mart reported disappointing sales and cut its projections for the year.
Stocks closed broadly higher as the market notched its second sizable gain in a row. Retail and industrial stocks made the biggest gains as they were lifted by company earnings, some good news from China's economy, and hope that Japan's struggling economy will get another boost.
Q. I am invested in the stock market, but my thoughts are that the stock market is the biggest Ponzi scheme the world has ever seen. How can so many people make six figures and do little or nothing to earn this?
U.S. stocks slumped Wednesday as the price of oil suffered its worst one-day drop since September, and the Standard & Poor's 500 index fell to its lowest level in almost two years.