By Kristin Hovencamp, CPWA®
I was recently reminded of a poignant quote by economist John Kenneth Galbraith, who said, “There are two kinds of forecasters – those who don’t know and those who don’t know they don’t know.” These words could not ring more accurately today. If you listen to five leading economists from the five most prominent investment banks, they all have varying viewpoints. If the smart guys in the room do not have the answers, who does? Before you make any investment decisions based on someone else’s opinion, formulate answers to the following questions:
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? What was your emotional reaction when you dared to look at your 401(k) or personal portfolios?
How much would you be willing to lose?
Markets hate uncertainty, as do most investors, and continued volatility is expected for the foreseeable future. How much time do you have to recover from significant losses? Research has found that financial comebacks often take years. Many investors do not recover from their setbacks. Can you afford to ride out a bear market if your investment horizon isn’t long-term?
Suppose you are 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 unplanned expenditures. Detach yourself from “expert” opinions and expose your portfolio to no more volatility than you need to accomplish those objectives.
Kristin Hovencamp, CPWA® is an Investment Executive and Director of Business Development with HAZLETT WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC, which is independent of Raymond James and is not a registered broker/dealer. Investment advisory services are offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. 675 Sun Valley Road, Suite J1 + J2 Ketchum, Idaho 83340 208.726.0605.