Article
How to Beat the Short Term Market Jitters
December 4, 2019
When the financial markets are in turmoil and account balances start to fall, there is a strong
temptation retreat from the market to stem any perceived losses. Yet it is often the case that
staying the course—or doing nothing—proves to be the better path.
Here is one recent example: A hypothetical 60% stock/40% bond portfolio that stood at $1
million on the morning of November 1, 2018, would have lost 5.7% of its value by Christmas
Eve. Yet selling the portfolio at that time and fleeing the markets, even if briefly, would have
cost an investor tens of thousands of dollars in two months, versus the alternative of staying
invested.
