We in Vicksburg would do well to heed Dan Daily’s advice: Stay the course. Buy low and sell high. If you have money to invest, now may be the time to consider it.

Daily, an investment advisor with Edward Jones Investments in Vicksburg, answered questions relating to Tuesday’s continued dive of the stock market, which is at least in part a reaction to continued plunge of the price of a barrel of oil.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 565 points at one point, but recovered some at the end of the day and closed down 249 points.

Anyone who invests in the stock market — and that includes most people with 401Ks — are concerned about what’s happening with their money, Daily’s clients included.

His advice is simple and makes all kinds of sense: Own quality stocks. That means own stocks of companies that are profitable. Those stocks, while they may lose value during market downturns, are likely to recover quickly and keep and grow in value as their profitability continues. Invest for the long term. Investing for the long term means not reacting when the market makes those inevitable corrections.

Times change, Daily pointed out. Communication today is constant and immediate. We live in a time of reaction, meaning television news, Internet, social media moves from one crisis to the next in fluid motion, and we move along with them. We react positively or negatively. Those reactions may not be fair or accurate as they relate to the value of a company, thus Daily’s advice to own good, profitable companies from the start.

People are going to continue to buy food and clothing, oil, gas and electricity, he said. Remember that before panicking and changing your investment strategy or selling good companies during a depressed cycle. That kind of reaction could cost you.

Staying the course is usually the best advice in many situations. It seems that’s the case during this economic downturn, too.