usually stocks don't go to zero, that's true.
but what buy and hold traders forget is this : stocks can easily be cut in half (take many the big names, big caps, and not only in technology sector).
a stock cut in half must return 100% to go back where it was. so if you don't cut your losses soon enough you are toast.
moreover, why not wait for the bull market to resume instead of trying to predict when the bear is over ?
smart money tried to buy after sept 11. don't be fooled in believing they start buying only last week, it's ridiculous.
if you ask me, smart money is much more dumb than you think. many funds closed or were shamely absorbed in other funds, just to hide the major 'smart' losses.
returns are terrible if you followed the advide to dollar average, meaning, you would need to time the market to make money.. and .. well, that's trading, not buy and hold.
there is a case for buying this market soon (not now, soon). but I don't see confirmation of that yet. and your broker telling you to buy, friend or not, is pretty much a reason for me to revise my previous stand to this : NO mid term trading in 2002 (a bit late to short -already covered in that time frame, certainly to early to buy).
there is plenty of action and work not trying to predict what the markets will do. and that's what traders do.
I appreciate your effort and, after all, we, traders, need 'smart' money to provide volume and direction to the markets. And be sure that some know how to get your money, no problem.
tntneo