That’s why the best stock market investing strategy is to take a long-term view. This means that you shouldn’t try to guess which stocks will rise and which will fall. Sure, you can read plenty of predictions online from financial experts and analysts. But there’s no guarantee at all that these experts will be right.

The sad truth is this: No one can predict the performance of either a single stock or the entire stock market. It’s simply too volatile of an investment. People who tell you that they can are like those radio sports bookies who tell you that they can predict the winner of tomorrow’s football game: They’re either lying or they’re deluded.

When investing in stocks, it’s best to do your research beforehand. Read as much as you can about the company behind the stock. Find companies in which you believe. Then invest in them for the long haul. If their stocks take a slight tumble, don’t panic and sell. If they rise in value, enjoy the ride. Investing in stocks is a bit like investing in residential real estate. You have to be patient to have a shot at solid earnings.

The numbers bear this out. Most investors will make a solid profit if they keep their money in the stock market for a long enough period of time. That’s because historically, the stock market usually rises if you only look at seven- to 10-year periods. Yes, markets will take big falls, such as during the country’s recent Great Recession. But the market always bounces back. We’re seeing that now.

So don’t try to predict the next big stock trend. Don’t move your money back and forth between stocks in a frenzied attempt to guess right on the next big deal. Be patient. Invest in stocks in which you truly believe. And don’t withdraw your money too quickly. By following this advice, you’ll watch as your stock market investments steadily grow.

Well, you can do just that. Rather than blowing all of the money that you received back from the IRS, use it for the good of your financial future. Below you will find a few things that you can do to save or invest your tax return to better your financial future.

First off, you could start a savings account. This money can be used for future emergencies, your child’s college education and future, or even a down payment on a home if that’s what you want. This is an excellent way to invest your tax return and still have it accessible when and if needed for emergencies.

Invest your tax return into your 401(k) plan. You’ll need a savings account of some sort in order to do this with your 401(k) plan at work. Deposit the funds into a savings account and then increase your contribution to your 401(k) plan at work. For example, if you received $2,400 as your tax return, you’ll deposit it into a savings account and then up your contribution at work to $200 – $250 per month. Your paycheck will be less when you receive it but that’s why you opened the savings account so that you could replace it.

Invest your tax return into an IRA. If you open up a traditional or a Roth IRA, you can contribute up to $4,000 per year. Of course, there are requirements and limitations that must be met such as income limitations with the Roth IRA. You can only make $110,000 filing single and $160,000 filing jointly. If you do not meet these income requirements, a traditional IRA would suit you better.

Invest your tax return into an ESA. This is an educational savings account that allows you to deposit $2,000 (at this current time) on a yearly basis and your child can withdraw funds from the ESA when he or she turns 18 and use for educational and college related expenses. It is a great way to earn money for your child’s future.

Invest your tax return into a CD at a bank or financial institution. CD’s can be set up for a few months or even several years. You can deposit your tax return into a CD for say two years and at the end of the two years, you’ll have more than what you first deposited because CD’s accrue interest over time. It’s a great way to get more money from your tax return.

Last but not least, you can always invest some of your tax return in the stock market. I don’t recommend investing it all as there is just as much potential to lose it all as there is to earn off it.

Remember, if you don’t want to save or invest all of it, keep a portion of it and use the rest to invest or save. There is no reason not to splurge a little bit on yourself and your family even if you want to protect your financial future.

But if you sit on your money, you might miss out on an opportunity to see your investment grow. The stock market, for instance, has been experiencing steady gains. Other investment vehicles, too, have been showing signs of life. It’s natural to be a bit gun-shy today, especially if you saw your investments tank during the height of the Great Recession. But by sitting on the sidelines, you’ll never recoup your losses. And you’ll miss out on some potentially big gains.

The key is to take a close look at your own personal situation to determine how much financial risk that you are willing to take. For instance, if you are still decades away from retirement, you should be willing to take on a greater amount of risk than would an investor who hopes to retire in five years.

What you should not do, though, is let the economic slowdown of recent years alter your investing strategy. The same concepts that held true for investors six years ago, hold true today: Put your money in a diverse array of financial investments. Don’t try to time the market; you’ll never win by pulling your money in and out of the stock market based on hunches or “expert” advice on “can’t miss” stocks. And invest for the long-term.

Investing today requires patience, just as it did years ago. You can’t expect to sink your money into an investment and watch it explode in value overnight. That was unrealistic before the economic meltdown, and it’s even more unrealistic today.

You also shouldn’t let fear motivate your investing decisions. Many investors did lose money during the Great Recession. But those who lost the most where the ones who pulled their money out of their mutual funds or 401(k) plans at the bottom of the recession. They took out their dollars where they were at their lowest, and then missed out on the opportunity to watch them grow as the economy began its recovery and the stock market took off again.

There are always going to be down times for the stock market and other investments. And you are never guaranteed to make money when you invest. But you can’t live in fear and be an effective investor, no matter how bad the recent economic crash was.