Why I was waiting for the market to fall. But not anymore.

Summary: Everyone says, “Wait for the crash.” But what if the crash barely ever comes? Since 2010, the Nifty 500 TRI has fallen over 5 per cent in a day just three times. If you’d been waiting for those moments, you’d have missed out on double-digit annual returns for years. This story breaks down the myth of ‘waiting for correction’ and why even smart investors end up outsmarted by time itself. For the past six months, I’ve been sitting on my hands and twiddling my thumbs. Or as fund managers like to say, “keeping my powder dry”. My grand plan was simple: wait patiently for the market to tumble, then swoop in like a financial eagle and buy everything on sale. Buy low, sell high. Easy as Sunday morning. After all, every wise head on television has been muttering the same thing since 2022 (or thereabouts): “The market’s overheated.” Every second newsletter predicts doomsday for the market. Each time, I would muster courage and keep investing through my SIPs. But alas, I am human, too. How long can one’s nerves hold? My patience reached expiry date four-five months back, and my brain said, &ldquo

This article was originally published on October 28, 2025.