Investors Forget Bulls and Bears, Be Observant Ostriches
September 16, 2008 | Posted by Roshawn Watson under Uncategorized |
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Scary Times
Volatility
Perhaps even more troubling than a down market is the uncertainty. For example, the Dow just loss 504 points in a single day (a 4.4% change), the largest single day decrease since 9/11/2001.
It is perfectly reasonable that if the Dow can increase by 400-600 a day, then a commensurate decline would not be wholly unexpected; however, the dips are still dispiriting. The volatility is the trade-off for investing in equity such as stocks, which over the long-term have out-performed every other asset class.
Forget Bulls and Bears, Be an Observant Ostrich An ostrich is “someone who attempts to ignore unpleasant facts or situations.” During crappy markets, investors do not necessarily like to know what’s going on; this is known as the “ostrich effect.” Having a general knowledge that your accounts are not doing well is significantly more pleasant than “knowing” what percentage of your net worth you just loss.
New research suggests that investors check their accounts 50-80% less during bad markets.
Essentially, avoidance becomes our medicine of choice. According to psychologist and author Paul Andreassen, the more information investors have on their holdings, the more they trade and the lower the returns they earn.
True ostriches (those who completely ignore all financial news during bad markets) can come out ahead of these traders, but there is also a big downside. Being completely unplugged causes investors to miss opportunities to win big during the upswing, which will come. The best strategy is to be an observant ostrich. Here are some tips.
- Avoid being in fear about the market. Fear breeds bad decisions, such as selling a good stock when its price is low. If the only way for one to avoid fear is to stop looking at headlines during a week where everything appears like it is crashing, then so be it.
- Look for bargains. It is well-known that the best way to invest is to buy low and sell high. Thus, after the dust clears, see if there’s a diamond among the debris. Just because you are not timing the market does not mean you cannot load up on quality equities while their prices are low.
- Maintain a long-term view of wealth. Over time, it is possible to achieve phenomenal wealth. Remember, diligent investors win in the long run.
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Copyright 2012, Roshawn Watson, Pharm.D., Ph.D. All Rights Reserved.
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