History lessons
PRESENTATION SLIDES
History lessons
If you ask what the markets are going to do, the answer would be that they're going to fluctuate. Volatility can feel like the ups and downs of a roller coaster. While we know that past performance doesn't guarantee future results, when it comes to behavior of markets, patterns typically repeat themselves. Circumstances may change but patterns rarely do. History lessons is a walk down memory lane to see where we've been and a peek around the corner to see where we may be going.
In this session, we will use data to answer the following questions:
- What does the history of market returns tell us?
- Is diversification dead?
- Is there a wrong time or right time to invest?
- What do inflation and interest rates mean for my life and my portfolio?
- What do I do now?
FLYER
Investors who abandon stocks in a downturn may miss out on their eventual recovery
One of the most difficult things for an investor to do is to avoid panicking during a market downturn and selling stocks when they’re at their lowest point. For example, many investors abandoned stocks and moved to bonds or cash during the worst of the 2008/2009 financial crisis, when staying invested would have provided the best outcome over the long term.
FLYER
Let logic, not emotion, drive your investment decisions
Our emotions naturally make it difficult to make smart investment decisions, such as buying low and selling high. In reaction to stress, the reasoning part of our brain tends to shut down and survival instincts kick in. That’s why many investors sell during market declines—thereby locking in losses—and return only after stocks have recovered. Research suggests that these behavioral biases are a key reason why the average investor underperforms the market.