The stock market seems mystifying to everyday people, and that’s very understandable. There’s a lot of thought that goes into making an investment decision, and you may feel unequipped to make a qualified choice. Your money is important and the stock market isn’t always the most predictable. Even so, investing is important to help you save for the future and maximize the power of your income, such as for retirement or your child’s college fund.
Thankfully, there are knowledgable people who are willing to help. If you listen to an expert’s advice, you may be able to make better decisions and have a clearer understanding of the markets you’re putting your money towards. It’s a good idea to listen to multiple experts in order to form your own decisions and investment strategies. One investment manager and business executive to pay attention to is Mark Wiseman. With years of financial experience under his belt, here are a few pieces of advice he likes to live by.
Thinking long-term is best.
Anyone wanting to make a quick buck in the stock market is better off seeking some other way to increase their income. The stock market is all about investing and staying for long periods of time in order to see the desired results. Thinking about long-term goals 30 or 40 years in the future means that you can look ahead and plan better than if you’re making decisions that are reactive to the market.
Forbes agrees with taking the long road and points out that “long-term investing reduces frictional costs, such as trading expenses and tax impact,” which can save you money in the long run. This isn’t even taking into account the money you’re accruing due to interest. Compound interest takes time to grow, and several decades allows you to really maximize your investments.
Think through different scenarios and how you’ll react.
You want to test how your portfolio will do in the future by thinking through what might happen with different scenarios in the world. Think about how something like a future pandemic or oil shortage could affect your investment allocations in the short and long-term. Mark Wiseman believes that “these are the types of scenarios you should be running and looking at how it affects markets and businesses…[and] while you can’t predict them, you should know they can come around” and prepare yourself accordingly.
If you’re just thinking short-term, especially in this difficult economy due to COVID-19, you might be feeling fearful, but Wiseman believes that the current events will only continue to influence the market in the short to medium term, most likely keeping long term investors on track. That being said, you’ll want to make sure that you have a good mix of assets to weather any storm should it arise. It never hurts to be prepared.
Don’t change your risk appetite.
In its history, the stock market has had many ups and downs. You can observe these kinds of fluctuations daily. Sometimes there are large downward trends, like the stock plunge following the Great Depression, 9/11, or the current coronavirus pandemic. Even after a difficult blow, you can take comfort knowing that the stock market has always bounced back.
If you’re living during one of these downward trends, don’t make any rash decisions that you might regret. Instead, if you have the wealth to manage it, Mark Wiseman recommends using it to your advantage to buy in at a lower level. If the appetite is there to take a risk and invest, put some of your money towards this impulse. It doesn’t have to be too large of a sum, but being aggressive during this time could pay off in dividends.