<prompt> Human: I was suggesting to my friend, whos never done any investing whatsoever and keeps her tens of thousands of savings in a checking account, that she open a Vanguard account and keep the majority of her savings there instead.But after recommending this, I was worrying about it, based on the market being at an all-time high-- if there were a crash, index funds would lose quite a lot of value and despite making the right choice, she would lose most of her savings. Granted it would likely rise again over subsequent years, but theres no telling how long it might take just to get back to where she was.Is she better off waiting?  <response>: is she better off waiting?Waiting for what? Theres no guarantee that the market will crash. It could steadily rise for the next ten years and youll still be there waiting. Your entire hesitation is founded on if there were a crash. Time in the market is more important than timing the market. 