The following was submitted by Marshall Tisdale, an Edward Jones financial advisor at 200 Littleton Rd. here in Westford (Member SIPC).
To submit your own letters or columns, e-mail us at andrewsylvia@westfordtemplate.com
As an investor, you’re well aware that the financial markets will always move up and down. But once you retire, you may feel that you have less time to recover from this type of volatility. How can you protect yourself?
For starters, allocate your investments among a variety of assets — stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, government securities and so on. This can help you avoid the full force of downturns that may primarily affect just one type of investment.
Also, choose investments that have performed well across many market cycles. Past performance can’t guarantee future success, as you’ve heard, but you’ll help yourself greatly by choosing quality investments. For example, look for stocks with real earnings and a history of earnings growth, and only consider fixed-income vehicles that are considered “investment grade.”
Finally, don’t make emotional decisions, such as selling quality investments because their price is temporarily down.
Market volatility can feel particularly unsettling during your retirement years. But staying calm can help you navigate the sometimes-choppy waters of the financial world.
You must be logged in to post a comment.