The “ABCDE” Method to Avoiding Knee-Jerk Reactions to Negative Financial Events
As part of our Life-Centered Planning process, we talk about how market volatility is a normal part of investing. We also discuss how we structure your investments to help “weather the storm” and provide a plan that seeks to help maintain a comfortable level of income for you and your family during turbulent times.
But we also understand that even folks who are armed with this knowledge can get nervous during a market dip. What’s important is that you know how to prevent that initial wave of negativity from leading you to rash decisions that could damage your nest egg much worse than a market correction.
Dr. Martin Seay is a specialist in positive psychology, which focuses on strategies that people can use to improve their sense of well-being. Dr. Seay’s ABCDE method can help you work through your reactions to distressing financial news and arrive at a positive outcome.
Let’s walk through an example of how to use this method to avoid making a bad, emotion-based financial decision.
A. Activating Event
Sometimes stress and anxiety can feel all-encompassing. Dr. Seay believes it’s important that we pinpoint the activating event that triggered our negative feelings.
So, while you might feel general anxiety about your finances, drill down a little deeper. Is your job secure? Okay. Are you saving and investing according to your financial plan? Good.
Did you just read on social media that today’s market correction was “THE BIGGEST ONE-DAY DROP IN HISTORY!”
Ahh, there it is. Let’s move on to the next step.
B. Belief
Market volatility can rouse some of our worst instincts about investing. We might fall back on long-buried beliefs like, “This game is rigged!” We might feel like we’ve entrusted our financial future to powers beyond our control.
As you work through this step, it’s important to ask yourself where your beliefs come from. Have you been unsettled by widespread media coverage of major financial problems, like the 2008-2009 housing crisis? Have you had negative interactions with the finance industry in the past? Perhaps one of your parents distrusted the markets or made a poor investment that had a negative impact on your family.
Figuring out why you believe what you believe about the markets can help alert you before you fall back into bad financial habits.
C. Consequences
Panicked investors who can’t shake negative beliefs about the markets often make poor decisions during downturns. They think they need to “get out fast” to avoid more negative consequences, like further losses.
Ironically, cashing out your investments during a market correction usually leads to far more serious consequences in the long run.
So how can you stay focused on the big picture?
D. Disputation
Start by using what you know to push back a little against what you believe.
For example, we educate clients that the historical, long-term trajectory of the financial markets has been to rise over time. Therefore, when the market does have a temporary drop, we might say, “The Dow was down x hundreds of points today.” It sounds like a big number, but as a percentage, it may just be normal volatility.
We also discuss with our clients that “market timing” strategies usually just don’t work. In fact, there is little to no evidence that anyone can consistently get it right, and those that try eventually fall back to the mean average. That’s why our clients’ portfolios are diversified, balanced, bucketed, and strategically rebalanced as necessary. Decades of market history have shown that sticking to this type of investment strategy may be more effective than trying to jump in and out of the market based on what’s happening in the news right now.
E. Energized
It’s amazing how just reminding ourselves of what we know to be true can make us feel better about a negative situation. Hopefully, at the end of this process, you feel a renewed sense of positivity about this present moment and your financial future.
But we understand that market volatility can be complicated. And as you’re nearing retirement, a downturn can be downright nerve-wracking. That’s why we recommend that you self-schedule a free 15-minute call to learn more about our Life-Centered Planning Process that can help keep you on track with your financial plan – even during market corrections.
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The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.
All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly. All investing involves risk including loss of principal. No strategy assures success or protects against loss.
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