When the only certainty is uncertainty, keeping a long-term outlook and focusing on what you can control helps keep you protected.
Global events don't just move markets. They ripple into the lives of everyday people trying to save for retirement, build wealth, or make decisions on how to navigate day-to-day financial decisions. The longer I work in financial services, the more I’ve learned what matters most during turbulent economic times isn't how the numbers move. It’s how people feel. This year’s challenges have created real feelings of uncertainty and concern.
Economic and market conditions continue to shift, and that’s caused uncertainty to linger. Our teams have spent countless hours fielding important questions from individuals who ask things like, “What is going on in the market?” Behind every question is a person’s story—their hopes and fears, their goals and their feelings. That’s why leadership in financial services, especially in times like these, demands more than just analysis. It requires empathy, clarity, and context.
While we know everyone’s financial journey is personal, we also know from history that pulling out of equity markets during downturns can mean missing powerful recoveries. Just a handful of days may dramatically alter long-term outcomes. The best-performing days in the market tend to follow the worst ones. Without a disciplined approach, they’re easy to miss, and those days don’t care about your emotions.
If market ups and downs are inevitable, what feelings can we focus on? We talk a lot about the power of building resilience—in and out of times of volatility—to help weather shocks. That means focusing on what we can control, like saving consistently, managing spending, diversifying investments, and seeking professional advice. Building resilience helps protect us not just in times of crisis, but in everyday life as well.
None of us can predict the future. But staying grounded in long-term goals, making informed decisions, and resisting the urge to react in fear is how progress continues, even when the headlines say otherwise.
Here’s a simple, proactive checklist to help you stay grounded, especially during times of uncertainty, to support your long-term goals.
It may feel counterintuitive but continuing to contribute and invest—even in a volatile market—may help you benefit from eventual rebounds. Market downturns often present long-term buying opportunities. Especially for younger savers, staying the course can give your money time to grow.
Staying invested doesn't mean taking unnecessary risks. It means finding the right balance between growth and stability, especially as your priorities change throughout your lifetime.
When the market climbs, it’s easy to think we’re comfortable with the risks we are taking. But volatility is the real test. At least annually, everyone should look at both their tolerance for downside risk and their capacity to endure it. Our lives can change dramatically from one year to the next, so both are equally important. When volatility increases, it’s a good time to ask:
- Am I still comfortable with the level of risk in my investment portfolio?
- Does my investment mix reflect my goals, timeline, and stage of life?
- Should I proactively make small changes?
If not, adjusting your strategy with a financial professional—not abandoning your savings—may be the right move.
Continuous news cycles, social media hot takes, and scary headlines can amplify financial stress. That’s normal, but it doesn’t have to dictate your choices. Financial decisions made in panic are rarely the right ones. Take a deep breath. Consult a trusted, objective financial professional.
We can’t control the weather, the market, tariffs, or inflation. But we can control:
- How much we spend and save.
- How we diversify our investments.
- How we seek help from a financial professional when we need it.
As you prepare for the future, sometimes the hardest thing is separating the noise from news that truly matters, and finding a trusted voice to help you do that when time or complexity become too much to handle alone. That trusted voice may be someone recommended to you by a family or friend, or a financial services company that's been serving others for a long time. It should be someone who understands your financial goals are uniquely yours—not anyone else's—and who has your best interest at the heart of what they do.
