BY SUZANNE HAZLETT, MBA, CIMA®, CFP®
Did you know there exists a Fear and Greed Index? It’s a stock market sentiment indicator that measures investors’ emotions. Its range is from 0 (Extreme Fear)—think March 2020 when COVID restrictions were taking effect—to 100 (Extreme Greed)—think the peak of the bitcoin bubble. The index this week stands at 61, reflecting greed in investor sentiment and market mood.
What keeps you up at night, specific to your finances?
Most everyone feels money-related anxiety. According to the National Endowment for Financial Education, “Money woes are the number one reason more than 50% of adults in the United States can’t sleep at night.”
How did you react to previous market crashes?
Can you remember how you felt on October 19, 1987, commonly called Black Monday? That infamous date set in motion investment losses worldwide estimated at $1.7 trillion. How about the 2000 dot-com bubble burst, or the Great Financial Crisis of 2008?
How much would you be willing to lose?
Markets hate uncertainty, as do most investors. How much time do you have to recover from significant losses? Research has found that financial comebacks often take years. Some investors do not recover from their setbacks. Can you ride out a bear market if your investment horizon isn’t long-term?
Herein lies the rub.
Black Swan events occur much more frequently than every 100 years. Suppose you’re already retired or nearing that path; set aside enough cash for your liquidity needs. Invest a portion of your portfolio in creating the income stream you seek. Commit enough of your assets to growth investments to keep pace with inflation. Allow an extra cushion for joyful expenditures and detach yourself from the market mania and expose your portfolio to no more volatility than you need to accomplish those objectives.
Value investor Warren Buffet’s simple rule is: “Be fearful when others are greedy and be greedy when others are fearful.”
Suzanne Hazlett, MBA, CIMA®, CFP®, is a Certified Investment Management Analyst® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM professional. Investment advisory services are offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Securities are offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. All investments bear risk of principal loss. Past results are no guarantee of future performance. HAZLETT WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC is independent of Raymond James and is not a registered broker/dealer. 675 Sun Valley Road, Suite J1 + J2, Ketchum, Idaho, 83340 208.726.0605 HazlettWealthManagement.com