Is “noise” keeping you from investing?
There is an infinite possibility of investment choices (individual stocks, UITs, active funds, index funds, sub-accounts, or ETF’s).
There is a near-infinite amount of people telling you the best way to invest. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all of the noise out there.
Still, I believe people spend far too much energy trying to decipher which investment vehicle to choose.
You have to make a choice. Inaction is one of the greatest threats to your wealth-building potential. The cost of sitting on the sidelines is far too great!
The key to building long-term wealth is investing and staying invested in your chosen strategy.
There will be times when active management outperforms passive management and vice versa. Before investing, understand the cost of admission:
- Since WWII, the S&P 500 has had an annual drop (peak to trough) of approximately 10% EVERY year.
- Since WWII, the S&P 500 has dropped approximately 40% every five years.
- The reward of staying invested has been an approximate annual rate of return of roughly 10%.
If you cannot handle the cost of admission, that is ok. It is better to know that on the front end. There are options available for everyone!
That said, education can go a long way in mitigating risk. Understanding the risks and historical perspective can ease your concerns regarding short-term market ups and downs.
“Beginning with the end in mind” certainly applies to investing. Investing is a long game. Speculation, however, is a short-term play of which we want no part. You must be committed to the process. Like anything you there may be bumps along the way. You can be doing everything right, investing a part of every paycheck in a well-diversified portfolio, and the market can still go down.
Did you do anything wrong? No. Stay the course, and over years and decades, you stand a great chance to be rewarded.
