This article and excerpt caught my eye
“The [mutual fund] industry sets targets that are far too high and then says, ‘Gee let us help you hit that target — put your money in stocks,'” he says. “It is true that the probability of making your target will go up, but the probability of having a really bad outcome — like losing your principal — will also go up, and so will the fees charged for management.”
Its never about just putting your money in any asset “long only”. Once you decide on the asset class you need a plan for buying and selling before you ever lay one dollar on the table at risk.