It’s been a while since many retail investors have taken a second look at the stock market. In fact, I have to admit that the market and I have kind of “taken a break” for a little while. Since I’m not that guy who sits at his desk surrounded by computer monitors all day, I don’t have time in the course of my full time public school teacher job to follow such a volatile stock market.

Not too long ago, I got back in. Not when the market started going up, but instead when it was going down. I’m not looking to call the bottom but one of these huge dips had to be the bottom. I don’t know that we put in a bottom but this is the first time in a while that people seem optimistic and when we hit the bottom of this last downturn I used it as opportunity to develop a plan for getting back in and moving forward. I put that plan in to action and have been making money. (I admit, that since the market turned, one hasn’t needed much savvy to do that over the past few weeks.)

The question on everybody’s mind is this: Is this a rally to stay? Just like politics everybody has an opinion and the only thing we know for sure is that we know nothing for sure. It could go either way.

If you’re investor, you have heard the name Barton Biggs. This legendary investor says that this rally is here to stay for quite a while. Others are saying that the market is finding itself overbought and it’s time for a correction.

Others say it doesn’t matter so do all the right things with your portfolio. First, buy quality stocks. Keep your speculation at 20% or less of your total portfolio. Next, hedge a little bit. Short something, buy some gold. (although that seems to be yesterday’s trade that has ran out) Whatever you do to hedge your portfolio, (read my article on hedging if you don’t know what that means) do it so to some degree.

Don’t be pulled in by some good news but don’t think inside of your box following the conventional wisdom that every time things go up, the market will bite back.