I'm retirement eligible in June with 26 years total service USMC 6/BOP 20 but could still work for another 6 years before being reaching mandatory retirement age. I just try to time the market by what is going on in the world and not try to time the market for the top or bottom. If I can get a 1 to 3% swing I'll lock it in and wait. Not a great chart reader but follow some of the threads on here with their breakdown of the charts. I follow the Bollinger Bands, MACD, and Moving Averages, trying to learn more on how to read charts correctly to make better decisions. I do own a few stocks and have a trading account that I mess with some. In April I started my own Heat and Air Co. which has been successful in its first year. Trying to decide if I should stay working for 4 more years (age 55) to pick up another $700/mo in retirement which would be about a 30% increase on my pension/supplemental SS. I don't plan on touching my TSP until after 55 or later to keep from paying a penalty.