How To Respond To the Market Drop When You're Near Retirement

Over the last week we’ve experienced the largest market drop since
2008. It’s not the only correction we’ve had since then, but
everyone is reacting. In fact, over the past week, $30 billion has
been pulled out.  I’m Within 5 Years of Retirement or Already
Retired. HELP!

We entered the year with a lot of hope and optimism, coming off a
year of amazing growth in the market. Then, we had a quick, steep
drop that has left everyone reeling. It’s a wake-up call to
remind us we don’t know what to expect. 


So if you never know what to expect, then how should you respond
to a correction like we just saw? The number one key to investing
well, regardless of how the market is performing, is to know how
you feel about risk. 


Risk tolerance is sometimes overblown. Often investors use it to
cover our backsides when investments go poorly, but it’s also
important to inform your investment strategy. 
You need to know what your plan is in case of a large market
drop like we experienced in the last week and a half.  Should
I Stay Or Should I Go?

In the first week of February, $30 billion was pulled out of the
market. Is it wise to sell your stocks while they’re
losing value? A lot of people would say yes, but think
about it like this. 


Would you sell your house as it was losing value, even if you
didn’t have to move? 


Of course not! That doesn’t make any sense. You want to wait
until it has value.


But that’s the first reaction people have with their investments
when we have a correction. If you’re close to retirement or
already in retirement, though, losing this money is something you
may not be able to recover from. 
Hindsight Is 20/20!

It’s easy for me to sit here now and give you advice about what
you should have done before you experienced this drop. You see
this on financial shows all the time. 
People always have the best advice to tell you what you should
have done, but where were they two weeks ago? 

Well, here’s the advice I did actually give someone before the
market drop. Two weeks before the correction, I received a letter
from David. He’s 76 years old with a Vanguard Portfolio of
$905,000 and is already in retirement. He wanted to know what he
should do to protect his money if the market corrects. 


My answer was: We’re coming into this year on the second-longest
bull market in history, so we know the correction will come. It’s
not a matter of if but a matter of when. The problem is no one
knows when it will happen. It could be tomorrow or two years from
tomorrow. **Since you’re already in your retirement though, and
your investments are part of your income, you need to invest as
if the correction will come tomorrow. **


With a plan and mindset that is prepared for the worst,
regardless of what happens, you know you’re going to be okay.
“I’m Losing Money… What Do I Do?!”

If the last week was a surprise for you and you’re panicking,
don’t beat yourself up. There’s nothing you can do about that
now. What’s important is what you’re going to do in the future.
Make sure you invest knowing your level of risk. 


As the market was in the middle of its drop, I received an email
from Alan, who only wrote me one line: “I’m losing money… What do
I do?!”


Is that how you felt too? The worst thing you can do right now is
panic and sell your stocks as they’re dropping. 
Remember, you haven’t actually lost money until you sell. 

The value has dropped, but only if you sell, have you locked in
that loss.


There’s no faster way to kill your portfolio than to sell it as
it’s losing value. 
Don’t Get Stuck On The Treadmill

The problem most people have with investing is that they’re
haunted by the “What-If”s. They get stuck on a never-ending
treadmill, jumping on and jumping off, depending on how they’re
feeling about how the market. 
They keep running, going nowhere, trying to figure out the
timing of the market. It’s impossible to time the market, so don’t
plan your investment strategy around it. 

A record amount of new money went into the market in January,
since the market had been up for so long. People saw the market
going up and up, so they jumped on and bought in. Now everything
is dropping and many of these people who just bought in have
probably now pulled out. They bought in high and sold out low.
That’s the absolute worst strategy. 


You can’t make market decisions based on your gut. That’s not a
way to live your life. 


Instead, figure out how much risk you can take and create a plan.
How Much Risk Can Your Retirement Handle?  When you’re
younger, it’s important to figure out how much risk you can handle,
but this is different than thinking about how much your retirement
can handle. 

How do you do that? With our clients, we look at their total
financial picture, social security, 401Ks, investments,
everything. We figure out how much risk they’re currently taking
and create scenarios for the future so they know what they are
potentially going to lose. We also look at how much they spend
every month and figure out what they’d like to leave behind for
their family. Then, we adjust their portfolio and adjust it
immediately. 


It’s important to get your portfolio where it needs to be as soon
as possible. Get your investments to your preferred place of risk
and then stay there, regardless of what the market does. 


Stay in your sweet spot.
Get Peace of Mind And Move Forward

I can’t begin to describe to you the peace you’ll have when you
have your portfolio in this great place so you don’t feel the
pressure from each dip and change in the market. 


**You’ll know that you’re where you need to be and you can keep
moving forward. **


 


If you know you’re not in your sweet spot, in this place of peace
of mind, now is the time to set up a free consultation with us.
You’ll be able to get a full look at your financial situation and
figure out your current level of risk. We’ll see if you’re
investing too aggressively or too conservatively and plan out
your next steps. Don’t let the market ruin your dreams for
retirement. 


Get Peace Of Mind For Your InvestmentsHow Can More Than Money
Help Your Retirement?