<prompt> Human: I have some money to invest thats currently just sitting as cash in my Roth IRA. Ive been following the market for the last few years, but Ive been too scared of a pull back correction happening that I havent invested in anything. Considering that Im in my mid 20s, should I just start putting my money into some target date funds and index funds and stop trying to time the market?Also, should I try to dollar-cost average and slowly add to my holdings monthly? Or should I invest a lump sum initially?Thank you!  <response>: The best time to invest is many years ago. The second best time is now.I personally just invest as soon as I am able. Dollar cost averaging is simply a side-effect of only being able to invest a portion of my paychecks as they come in, its not the goal. If I had enough money to max out my investing goals right now, I would.So basically, if I were you Id convert all of my IRA monies into proper investments all at once and add to it consistently as I am able. 