What to do in this uncertain time.  

There is no one-size-fits-all answer for how to respond to an event such as coronavirus. If you’re a younger investor who is saving and investing for a distant goal, such as retirement, the best action to take may be no action at all. If you’ve built a portfolio that matches your time horizon and risk tolerance, and you don’t expect to need money from it anytime soon, it’s usually best to stick to the investing plan you developed when markets were calm. 

However, if you’re in a position where you must sell stocks—for instance, if you’re retired and relying on your portfolio to fund your lifestyle right now—there are steps you can take to minimize the negative impact of selling in a down market.

“Three months ago, most of us didn’t know what a coronavirus was. Now it’s impacting all of our daily lives. That likely includes your retirement account. Like you, we don’t know what is coming next. We do know there is so much uncertainty that markets don’t know how to price in the economic impact yet. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you should sell your stock allocation and run to “cash” (what we typically refer to as money market or stable value).

The exact decrease to-date will depend on how your money is invested. While allocations in stocks may see larger drops, money invested in bonds may have less of a change in value.

While market volatility is a normal part of investing, our Clearview Advisory team knows that in significantly volatile times like this, it can be very difficult to withstand large dips in your account balance. We are investors too. It can be tempting to make changes out of fear without considering the long-term impact to your retirement savings.

How you invest your retirement savings is personal to you because each investor’s situation is unique. However, as an industry, we have agreed that there are certain stock/bond allocations that are appropriate according to an investor’s age. For example, younger employees with more time before retirement may find it appropriate to invest more heavily in stocks because over time, stocks have outperformed bonds and younger investors need their savings to keep pace with inflation. Meanwhile, a participant at age 65 will likely have a more 50/50 mix of stocks and bonds to blend growth with protection.

If you have any additional questions regarding market volatility or need investment advice, please contact Greg Fiore at 404-477-0593.

You may also contact Charles Schwab to discuss your account and receive market updates. 

Charles Schwab Customer service 1-800-724-7526 or www.workplace.schwab.com.