Serenity Now

Serenity Now! It’s a phrase that Seinfeld’s Frank Costanza latched on to thanks to his physician. As he so eloquently frames it, his “Doctor gave me a relaxation cassette. When my blood pressure gets too high, the man on the tape tells me to say, ‘Serenity now!‘”

“Medical advice” aside, investors have just been given a ring-side seat to a ten percent correction in the S&P 500 Index. Volatility unexpectedly engulfed trading, with the S&P 500 moving into correction territory just nine trading days after closing at an all-time high.

That’s a record, according to LPL Financial Research.

Putting aside Frank Costanza’s questionable medical advice, corrections and volatility are a normal part of the investing landscape. The period of relative tranquility, which began in the summer of 2016, is not. It’s profitable for an investor that is well-diversified, but it can’t be expected to continue forever.

Where to from here? I won’t try to time the market. No one can consistently time the market.

What I can say: A well-crafted financial plan that is uniquely crafted with your financial goals and risk tolerance levels in mind is the best place to begin. Don’t have a plan? A well-regarded financial advisor can assist.

Diversification cannot eliminate risk, but it can help mitigate it.

Advisors who take a long-term view and regularly communicate with their clients have been emphasizing the importance of the strong fundamentals but have also been subtly cautioning clients that market volatility would eventually resurface. Timing it, however, is almost next to impossible.

Resist the temptation to make emotional decisions. Making buy or sell decisions based solely on market swings are rarely optimal for long-term investors. That’s where the financial plan provides guidance.

It’s time for a gut check. Well-diversified portfolios heavily skewed to stocks can provide stronger long-term gains, but they come with more risk and greater price swings.

Can you handle the added risk? Has the selloff left you overly anxious? If so, revisit the plan with your financial advisor.

Corrections are never fun. For some, they feel like the end of the world. Historically, however, stocks have a longer-term upward bias.

A long-term perspective and a well-crafted financial plan that takes unexpected bumps in the road into account is a much better approach than Frank’s ill-advised advice.

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Absorber of complexity
Creator of simplicity
Avid mountain climber, financial writer, blogger, chart addict, economics geek

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