Investors face a very different environment today.
While the future is always uncertain, today’s environment may be even more uncertain. We are living in a time of increasing inflation, increasing interest rates, and tighter fiscal and monetary policy. We aren’t used to this.
Making good decisions is always desirable. But when we face greater uncertainty, it is important that we trust whatever decision we make. A decision that looks to be “bad” in the short term can be quite profitable in the long run, and vice versa. So, how can we develop greater confidence in our decisions and trust them, even when they may not look so great in the short run?
3 Steps to Trusting Your Decisions
- Take Your Time. It is normal and natural to react to things based on emotions and intuition. The brain wants to solve things quickly. We need to engage the reflective part of our brain by not reacting hastily and seeking additional information.
- Gather Information. We should devote a generous amount of time gathering information… including contradictory information. This helps us see the facts from various points of view, rather than the loudest, or most repeated viewpoints.
- Talk It Out with Your Guide. Erik or I would love to help you gather information, ask the right questions, and have a thoughtful discussion. Having an honest and objective 3rd party to help you think through your ideas is one of the best things we can do anytime you face an important choice.
As we often talk about it – we cannot control nor predict the markets. What we can control is how we think, analyze, and respond to the markets. I have found that how investors respond has a significant impact on their ultimate results. We are here to help you obtain the best results, despite challenging markets, over time.
©2022 The Behavioral Finance Network and K. Esther Szabo, CFP®, CeFT®
¹ S&P 500 Index from 01/01/2009 – 12/31/2021 with dividends reinvested. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index is a capitalization weighted index of 500 stocks designed to measure performance of the broad domestic economy through changes in the aggregate market value of 500 stocks representing all major industries. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly.
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