You need only turn on the TV, radio, or skim a newspaper to realize we are right in the middle of some challenging economic times. The BIG question is what can we do when our individual abilities to change the quagmire we’re stuck in is minimal? Here is the shortlist.
#1 Look at your personal situation and choose the best plan of action
If you are trying to accumulate funds for retirement, do you really want to retreat to the safety of CD’s or money market funds when returns are struggling to yield 1% on your money? Yes, you would at least have a guaranteed return of your money but at these rates, even the slow but sure tortoise would give up the race.
Historically, the market is a very predictable and much higher yielding place to be. That being said, the number one prerequisite of market investing will be your ability to weather the volatility that is inherent in equity investments. Simply put: don’t be a jack rabbit about it.
Investors who cycle through euphoria and misery only to jump in and out of the market typically do so at precisely the wrong times. The scenario plays out something like this:
When the market is doing well, investors feel renewed confidence it is the place to be. They plunge wholeheartedly in, at a point that reflects a price that is much higher after two years of outstanding returns. The market may or may not continue on its upturn for a while. However, at some point, the market will sour and begin a hasty retreat. These same people who got in at or near the top begin to panic. They decide they can no longer stomach the volatility and opt out after the market has been in a free fall for some time.
This is a recipe for disaster and one reason why we see such a roller coaster of reports in the news each day. If you lack the fortitude to invest in the market and weather the vacillations, don’t jump in and out – stay out. Buying high and selling low is not the way to go.
#2 Consider alternative strategies for investing in the market
An example of a strategy that may take some of the trepidation out of investing in the market is using the strategy of dollar cost averaging. This is already inherent in payroll deduction retirement plans. Since the funds are invested on an ongoing and regular basis, investors will automatically get the benefit of purchasing more of the investment when prices are low and less when they are high.
This same strategy would work in investing non-qualified money. Instead of investing it all at once, take the sum to be invested and invest a certain portion each month over a period of time instead of plunging it all in at once. This way, if the market does go down, you will be able to capture a lot more shares or units at the lower price.
Kurt Rusch CLU, ChFC
