By Nattakorn_Maneerat @ Shutterstock.com
When most investors are simply scurrying for some peace of mind, that’s the time for you to think long-term. What’s your cash situation like? Can you make it through the next few years? Are there areas where you see opportunities? I know some of you with second homes are thinking about cashing in, for example. The next question is, where do you put the proceeds? It’s not a simple answer.
I want you to think about how long it took you to save your money. Think about how many hours, days, weeks, months, and years you worked to get to where you are. This is not a trivial exercise. For most, including Your Survival Guy, saving is an exercise in restraint. I’d go as far as to say it’s a higher calling than the “give me, give me, give me, now, now, now” crowd.
When markets fall, all is not lost. You know from years of sticking with me that market prices are the result of qualitative factors. They’re the lump sum of opinions, right or wrong. I want you to focus on what you can control, the quantitative factors: How much you save, how much you invest, how much you work, when you retire, and if you’ll work part-time. You get the picture.
When you own dividend-paying stocks and income-producing bonds, they produce cash, something you can hold that’s tangible, not some price you have no control over.
Action Line: It never ceases to amaze me how investors get caught on the wrong side of the risk equation in times like these. Markets don’t go straight up. In fact, there’s plenty of history to the contrary, and who knows where this decline will end? If you want to take a non-emotional approach with your money, you know who to call.
Originally posted on Your Survival Guy.
