Ben Stein: "This is a good time to buy stocks"

To put this as plainly as possible, this is a good time to buy stocks. The evidence is overwhelming and consistent that if you buy when stocks' P/E is below its 15-year moving average, you'll make far more money than you would if you bought at the economic peak, when P/E's are high. So, unless you're out of money to buy with during the recession, you buy. You don't go on margin to buy, and you don't re-mortgage your home to buy. But if you're employed and have money to invest, you buy.

Recessions in the post-World War II world are generally short; they end after about two quarters. Within about 15 months, stocks have moved from their last peak to their next peak. This is an average -- each case varies, but in every case the very long-term investor is better off if he or she keeps on buying through the recession.

~ Ben Stein, "Recession-Proof Your Investment Strategy," Yahoo! Finance, September 13, 2007