New Delhi, Jan. 6 -- In the years between World War I and World War II, France built what it believed was an impenetrable defensive barrier - the Maginot Line. A sprawling network of bunkers, artillery, and tunnels along its border with Germany, it was designed to prevent a repeat of trench warfare.

of-the-art, lavishly funded - and strategically flawed. When Germany invaded in 1940, it simply went around the fortifications through Belgium.

That is what happens when you prepare for the last war.

And that is exactly what many investors do when they try to time the market.

The timing trap

Ask anyone who has sold equities "just in time" to avoid a crash, and they will tell you how hard it is to do it twice. Selling is only the first ste...