Missing the S&P 500's 10 Best Days in 20 Years Cut a $10,000 Investment's Ending Value by More Than Half

A $10,000 investment in an S&P 500 fund over 20 years grew to $82,300, but missing just the 10 best days would have reduced it to $35,700. Most of these best days occurred during market downturns, within two weeks of the worst days, highlighting the danger of market timing and the importance of staying invested.