Many people DCA during bear markets when prices are low and fear is high. But with current prices climbing and sentiment shifting toward greed, is it still wise to keep averaging in at regular intervals?
That's not DCA, but buy the dip.
DCA is a strategy where you accumulate an asset with regular interval
without looking at the price. If you waiting for the price to down/bearish season, you're trying to buy at the lowest, which is no longer DCA.
To answer your question, it's up to you, if you not able to commit with DCA then that's fine.
Precisely. The whole point of the DCA strategy is to provide relief from the type of dilemmas the OP is having. Just keep buying without looking at the price until you hit your goal (if there's any).
That being said, the question, although phrased not quite correctly, still stands: is now a good time to buy for someone accumulating for a long-term hold? My guess is as good as anyone else's, but if we assume that we are near the top of the cycle and that the bear market is to begin towards the end of the year (and we might see even an 80% drop) I'd say it's probably best to wait for the price to drop. Although I wouldn't be aiming at the very bottom, as it's just as hard to predict as the top.
You are right that DCA is designed to remove the emotional weight of timing decisions,but I think it's also fair to say that timing still matters, especially if someone is just getting started or only has limited capital to deploy.
If we assume we are near the top of the cycle which, to be honest, is never truly clear until well after the fact,then yes waiting might feel like the safer bet. But the flip side is, if someone is in it for the long haul, and they try to time the dip but miss reentry, they might end up buying higher or staying sidelined altogether. The risk of not acting can be just as costly.
So maybe a middle ground works best to continue DCA but with reduced intensity, or build dry powder while keeping an eye on key levels. That way, you’re not fully out, but you’re not overexposed either. No strategy is perfect, but consistency and flexibility tends to win over time.