When I say "investing is hard", what I really mean is that staying invested is hard. Especially when, as of this writing, the S&P 500 is down 26% year-to-date. Or when you’re bombarded by non-stop coronavirus-related news information from traditional and social media. Or when you can log in to your financial accounts anytime you want and watch the value decrease.
For investors of all ages, 2020 has been a difficult year - and we’re not even through the first quarter! It has been a long time since investors have seen such wild swings in financial markets. Since 2009, staying invested has been easy. Sure, there have been ups and downs, but mostly ups. And the market always goes up, right? Wrong, but after 10 years, and an absolutely stellar 2019, we've become accustomed to positive returns.
I could tell you to ignore the latest updates about the coronavirus pandemic, but you won’t do that. The virus has disrupted so many aspects of life that it’s natural to want to find out when it will end.
I could tell you to stop checking the value of your investments, but you won't do that. Technology has made it easy for us to quickly log in to our accounts or receive automated notifications of the balance, performance, etc.
I could tell you to ignore the daily news about the financial markets, but you won't do that. There's information everywhere and it's nearly impossible to avoid.
I could tell you not to listen to talking heads make predictions about what the markets will do, but you won't do that. Like daily news about financial markets, it's almost impossible to avoid hearing from someone who knows what's going to happen in the financial markets today, tomorrow, or next year. Here's a secret: No one can predict, at least not consistently, what's going to happen.
You're human, at least I think most of you are, which means you will track the latest news about the coronavirus, you will worry about your investments, you will be curious about the day-to-day changes in your account, and you will want to know what's going to happen to your accounts in the future.
Here’s something else you can do: Focus on what you can control.
You can control your own behavior. Spend quality time with loved ones. Try not to eat too much junk food. Make time in your day for some exercise. Read a book. Take a break, even an hour, from news, markets, noise, social media, commentary, opinions, and speculations and give yourself some space to think.
Finally, do one more thing: Since we’re in the Age of Coronavirus, your portfolio is like your face: Don’t touch it.
