By petrrgoskov @ Adobe Stock

Holiday gatherings are tough on The Prudent Man. Because while everyone is happy to tell you how well theyโ€™re doing in the stock market, itโ€™s The Prudent Man who knows how fleeting temporary gains can be. The Prudent Man knows his course, his path. Heโ€™s not quiet about it. Hardly. He locks eyes with the storyteller, knowing the final chapterโ€™s end before itโ€™s written.

Yes, The Prudent Man tells his listeners the way he sees itโ€”his visionโ€”understanding that most investors wonโ€™t be able to handle his path. Temptation in markets, especially ones moving higher, is too much for lay investors to ignore. Little do they know. But know they will because theyโ€™re not even aware theyโ€™re enrolled in the school of hard knocks. One way or the other, investors will learn the lessons.

In his conversations around his family table, The Prudent Man preaches, โ€œItโ€™s not what you make, itโ€™s what you keep.โ€ He tells his loved ones about the miracle of compound interest. He advises them to live within their means and save โ€˜til it hurts. He guides them like a shepherd.

When at social gatherings, The Prudent Man can be quiet. Quiet when he knows thereโ€™s too much hope in the zero-sum game of stock prices. He knows hope is not a strategy. He has his dividend religion.

When thereโ€™s too much at stake, he knows investors will never thank The Prudent Man for giving good advice. Conversely, he knows theyโ€™ll never forget the loudmouth for the bad advice. But hey, itโ€™s only a yearly gathering, after all. No consequences.

Action Line: Itโ€™s hard dealing with the talking heads, who fill your mind with uncertainty. Itโ€™s during times like these when finding The Prudent Man within can be a lifesaver. When youโ€™re ready to begin your search, letโ€™s talk.

Originally posted on Your Survival Guy.ย