The Market Has Gone Wild! Is It Time to Change Your Investment Strategy?

This article was originally published on ETFTrends.com.

By Lauren Klein via Iris.xyz

It’s a strange time for investors.

Consider this: Just last week Gerry, a 65-year-old recent retiree, asked me if she should take on more risk in her portfolio. “The market is doing so well,” she said. “I feel like I’m missing out on all that growth.” My answer was simple. “No!” I explained that her strategy had been very carefully built to support her long-term financial goals—not just to grow her invested funds. It was an important conversation, and wow, is it a good thing she has an advisor to talk her out of emotional decision-making! Just imagine if she’d decided to gamble with her assets and take on more risk just a few days ahead of Monday, Feb.5’s volatility.

Of course, in the face of this week’s rather wild ride in the stock market, you may be asking yourself the opposite question: “Have I taken on too much risk?” My answer to you is the same today as it was for Gerry just two weeks ago. No! That is, of course, if you have a well-constructed financial plan already in place.

Whether the market is flying high or taunting your emotions with new lows and some bumpy volatility, here are four things every investor should keep in mind:

1. Investing is not a stand-alone activity.

When the stock market is in the news (which it almost always is), it’s easy to forget that investing is just one piece of your overall financial life. A good financial advisor will work with you to look at that and everything else. What are your goals?

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