When markets and headlines become concerning, as they do just about every few months, remaining calm can be difficult – but is essential to making wise financial decisions. While we cannot control what happens in the world, the good news is that we can control the level of calm in our lives. Finding your calm is largely a function of what you choose to focus on.
Tis the season of gratitude. Thanksgiving is perhaps one of the most under-appreciated holidays, but most needed. Studies have shown that gratitude promotes many positive benefits – increased and lasting happiness being one of them. Happiness is a desirable state of being shared by all people – irrespective of culture, background, or religion. Unfortunately, the pursuit of happiness is often focused on circumstantial happiness rather than enduring happiness.
It is human nature to focus more on the present than the future, which is in line with our basic instinct of survival. We focus on the present because that is where “life happens” and we experience feelings such as pleasure, pain, anxiety, and peace. Every day we face cost-benefit tradeoffs that not only impact our lives today, but potentially for years to come. Because of our nature, we often select those things that bring immediate gratification while delaying its cost into the future.
Recently the Wall Street Journal ran with a headline about “Quadruple Threats” to the economy. Not to be outdone, on the same day, Marketwatch.com posted an image highlighting five current threats to the economy. These threats are made to be, and can be, concerning. I break down the threats below to help us maintain proper perspective.
As the kids go back to school, it is a good time to review the ABCs of successful investing. Expect that stock market selloffs, which are normal, will occur quite regularly – it’s just the nature of beast. But historically the losses have been temporary. Some losses have been greater than others, but the markets have historically generated significant wealth for patient investors.
Why is it that many investors feel the urge to time the stock market? Since 1950, stocks have been in a bull market 83% of the time – despite all the crises and corrections. You would think investors would be happy with that kind of result. But that isn’t the case. Investors spend a lot of time and energy attempting to avoid losses, which ironically, leads to lower long-term performance.
Let’s say your friend came back from the future and shared a glimpse of stock market performance. He said that 3 months from now the stock market will be lower. He didn’t elaborate but hearing that the market would be lower got you concerned.
Investing may be simple in principle, but it isn’t easy in practice. Markets and economies are fraught with uncertainty, constantly changing news and markets, and how great some other investment is performing. Warren Buffett is one of the most successful investors of all time. From time to time he shares sage advice that every investor can benefit from.
Since early last year economists, market experts, and even corporate CEOs were predicting a recession for this year. Most of them said it would happen early in the year.1 A recession was the consensus view among experts, almost a foregone conclusion. With inflation surging to 9% last summer and the Fed aggressively raising interest rates, it was an easy story to sell…and believe.
Last month a bold and concerning prediction showed up in popular social media feeds: “Sell Your Stocks and Move Your Money Before May 2nd, or You May Never Recover”1 Reading such a bold and dreadful prediction can cause investors to get concerned, fearful, and may tempt them to “get to safety” by moving to cash.