come one - 50 years? :D I'm beyond 30 - in 50 years I'm likely calling a little wooden box my home. So, let's say 20 to 30 years. That's the horizon I calculate with.
You are totally right with performance to be looked at for long periods of time. But I sometimes reflect on my ETF prices in relation to the news and I feel like there is a deeper and deepening fundamental issue with economy that might severely handicap my funds even on a long time scale.
Fair enough, but the point is that 5 tot 10 years is realtively short term. Imagine looking at the stock market from 2006 to 2011. Ouch!
But then 2011 until 2016 looks amazing! Wow!
There will always be up and downs. The trick is not to try and time them, just ride it out.
And don't forget to put a bigger percentage of your portfolio in bonds / safe things the older you get. You don't want to retire one year after the next '2008' and have everything in stocks.
You are totally right with performance to be looked at for long periods of time. But I sometimes reflect on my ETF prices in relation to the news and I feel like there is a deeper and deepening fundamental issue with economy that might severely handicap my funds even on a long time scale.