Many market experts suggest holding stocks for the long term. The Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index has experienced losses in 10 of the 40 years from 1975 to 2015, making stock market returns quite volatile in shorter time frames. However, investors have historically experienced a much higher rate of success over the longer term.

In an ultra-low interest rate environment, investors may be tempted to dabble in stocks to boost short-term returns, but it makes more sense to hold on to stocks for the long term