Over the past six months or so, the stock market -- as measured by the S&P 500 index of 500 of America's biggest companies -- has fluctuated considerably. During that period, the S&P 500 topped 4,000 several times and also slipped below 3,600. Volatility is par for the course with the stock market, though. Indeed, the S&P 500 was recently down more than 15% from its 52-week high.

It's enough to cause some investors to question whether the market has now hit a bottom, and whether it's a good time to buy stocks now. That's not a very useful question to ask, though. Instead, investors might ask, "Is now a good time for me to buy stocks?"

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Source Fool.com