Invest Today and Retire Richer

The natural reaction in a rough market like this one is to wait for stability before investing again. While that course of action may sound like it makes sense, it will actually hamper your earning power.

There are two reasons why some time off is not a good idea.

First, time in the market, not timing the market, ultimately determines how much money you'll make. The more you invest, the more likely you are to achieve your goals, regardless of whether you earn higher or lower returns. Whenever you stop investing, you lose the benefit of time in the market.

What you get for your money
The other reason to buy now is that you get to buy low, which means that the same $1,000 investment today will buy you more shares in a business than that same $1,000 a few months ago. While this reality can be tough to stomach if you already own stocks, the framework will help you take advantage of current market panic.

Just take a look at this table:

Company	Shares Bought for $1,000 on 10/9/2007	Shares Bought for $1,000 on 2/8/2008	How Much More You Get for Your Money
Kroger (NYSE: KR  )	34.8	38.9	11.8%
ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM  )	10.8	12.2	13.4%
Equifax (NYSE: EFX  )	25.4	29.5	16.3%
Limited Brands (NYSE: LTD  )	46.5	55.3	18.9%
Merck (NYSE: MRK  )	18.6	22.5	20.4%
3M (NYSE: MMM  )	10.5	12.7	21.7%
Cisco Systems (Nasdaq: CSCO  )	30.2	42.5	40.5%

The difference between what you would have gotten when the market peaked in October, and what you can get now is astounding. And that's the enormous financial benefit of being willing to buy in a tumultuous market like this one. When those shares return to fair value, your nest egg will get a significant boost.

Press your advantage
Despite recent volatility, today is a great time to invest -- and doing so will help you retire richer.

But if you're still wary and looking for specific places to put your money, consider joining our Motley Fool Rule Your Retirement service free for 30 days. Editor Robert Brokamp and the tools available to subscribers will help you figure out where you can invest with confidence to achieve your financial objectives. Click here for more information. There is no obligation to subscribe.

At the time of publication, Fool contributor Chuck Saletta owned shares of Equifax and Merck, and his wife owned shares of Kroger and Limited Brands. Limited Brands and 3M are Motley Fool Inside Value selections. Limited Brands is also an Income Investor pick. The Fool has a disclosure policy.