Nov 21, 2008 -- Staying in the market is critical in today's climate
Should you stop contributing to your 401(k) or other retirement account and sell everything you've got? That's a question that Clark hears from people multiple times a day.
Barron's recently ran a story comparing our current market situation to the 1930s. These kinds of stories create anxiety that is not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to investing. During the last 20 or 30 years, we'd gotten to a place where we practically expected that money will grow if you just pop it in the market. This is now the first time many investors are experiencing rough seas.
Retirees are particularly scared about their holdings declining before their eyes. So many people at the studio have asked Clark to talk to their elderly parents and set their minds at ease. Clark's own mother-in-law even calls him a Pollyanna!
If you're still in the working years, the antidote for anxiety is simple. Stop trying to figure out if we've hit the bottom and stop trying to find safe havens for your money.
As an aside, Clark says the speed with which oil and gas prices have declined is actually a negative indicator. It may feel good when we fill up at the pump, but the decline is not for a good reason. A good reason would be that we have a new economical method to fuel our vehicles, and he still believes this will happen.
So why would the penny-pincher still encourage you to put money into your retirement plan month-by-month and paycheck-by-paycheck? Even in the darkest days of the '30s, people who continued contributing eventually made big money. They simply bought more shares at lower prices.
One tip for our older listeners who have retired: Do not sell out all your holdings. If you are truly worried, try doing reverse dollar cost averaging. That's where you take out a little money each month. By still leaving the bulk of your money in the market, you won't miss the recovery. But you will lower your exposure in increments and that may give you some psychological peace.
