2020 has brought with it a sense of fear that is almost tangible. A thick layer of uncertainty colors the days of many. The pandemic and the ensuing market crash caused once-confident individuals to take pause. Questions like the following started knocking at their front doors:
Will I get sick?
Can I still retire?
How long until things are normal again?
Will life go back to normal?
Do I have enough savings?
What if I lose my job?
….
Will I Be Okay?
At first, these questions announced themselves with a light rap. Later, these questions refused to be ignored, beating on the door as if to break it down.
I recently attended a week-long virtual conference, “Fearless Week” held by Riskalyze, a tool we use to evaluate risk & reward in investment portfolios. From the opening remarks, Riskalyze acknowledged the realm of uncertainty and fear that Americans are living in, declaring the 2020s the “Risk-First Decade”. Risk is no longer a hypothetical, a scenario run by your financial advisor. The longest bull market in history ended and the volatility we’re no longer used to has returned. What may have been forgotten, however, is that there is no investing without risk. Arguably, there is no life without risk.
The key is to not be frozen by it.
Conquer fear by taking action in the face of adversity.
And you don’t have to do it alone.
We think Deborah J Trouw, CEO of Elevation Financial Group says it best, “[we] help our clients to take the actions they need to and face the fear in partnership with us”.
During the conference, we learned additional ways to continue to leverage our technology to stay in touch with our clients and our community. We gained more knowledge of how to use the risk analysis software to educate clients about their portfolios and to identify ways to improve them further.
By working with our clients to be proactive instead of reactive, they can lean on their plan when things get rough. We can run scenarios of how their portfolio would fare - and thus, their ability to pursue their goals (like a comfortable retirement) - in any market situation. Having this information and analysis in your back pocket can make riding out the turbulent markets much easier.
Don’t let tough markets get you down. Be proactive and talk with your advisor, develop a plan, and take action when necessary.
Face your fear, instead of being controlled by it.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investing involves risk and the potential to lose principal. This article is meant to be general, and it is not investment or financial advice or a specific recommendation of any kind. Opinions and forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, which change over time. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated. Please consult your financial professional before making financial decisions.