When we say invest for the long term, we mean you should look to hold an investment for five years or more. Any investment will go up and down in value over time, and that's just the nature of investing. But over a longer timeframe, you've got more opportunity to recover any dips in your investments value that can happen when markets fall. It makes sense to review your investments quite regularly. So you’re sure they're still a good fit for you. But it's important not to focus too much on the day-to-day ups and downs of markets.