Let's address a question that is burning in the hearts and minds of every investor right this very moment as the S&P 500 flirts with all-time highs:
 
Is this a good time to invest... or is the stock market near a peak?
 
I read articles and research every day by professional investors and traders and the opinions and conclusions are as diverse as they are. But they all fall into basically 3 camps:
 
a) "It's a terrible time to have your money in the market! You should sell everything, go to cash, and wait for the crash!"
 
b) "I'm just not sure what's going to happen so I'm playing it safe and waiting until things look clearer." (lots of investors and traders have been saying this for 6 years in one of the greatest bull markets ever!)
 
c) "You should have all your money right now in Technology (or Drugs, or Gold) because it's going to the moon!"
 
In the video that accompanies this article, I show you how to clear the clutter and focus on what really matters: what I call the "linchpins" of the bull market. Your decisions to invest and pick stocks should be based on these fundamental forces because they come from long-run historical patterns that guide large professional investors.
 
The so-called "whales" of the investing ocean have studied numerous market cycles and they want to make sure they are putting their clients' money in the strongest and steadiest currents. 
 
Make sure you understand the linchpins that they are focused on.