Long-term investments give you the opportunity to earn more than you can from short-term investments. The catch is that you have to take a long-term perspective, and not be scared out of the market because the investment has fallen or because you want to sell for a quick profit. And by focusing on the long term – committing not to sell your investments as the market dips – you’ll be able to avoid the short-term noise that derails many investors. For example, investors in the S&P 500 who held on after the huge drop in early 2020 were likely able to ride out the short-term bumps that came along with the start of the COVID pandemic before markets turned things around and surged higher once again. Investing for the long term also means that you don’t need to focus on the market all the time the way that short-term traders do. You can invest your money regularly on autopilot, and then spend your time on things that you really love rather than worrying about the market’s moves.