2. Avoid the “noise”
• The 24-hour news cycle has created a
need for drama on every news
channel in order to keep people’s
attention. When assessing the global
market seven days a week, they can
turn what might have once been
small blip on the radar and make it
into a disaster piece. Jameson Van
Houten says people should keep
focused while riding through the
turbulence caused by the breaking
news alerts. Wait for selloffs,
corrections and bear markets to pass.
3. Liquidity is important
• As people approach retirement age,
being able to quickly access their money
becomes more and more important.
Medical emergencies, unforeseen home
repairs and more could require them to
have to dip into their retirement
investment accounts. Illiquid
investments may cause a problem in
these times of need, says Jameson Van
Houten; penalties and other fees could
take a big chunk out of a person’s
investment if they draw money from
these “locked up” accounts.
4. Know when to rebalance a portfolio
• Novice investors may not
understand that rebalancing
their portfolio from time to
time is important depending on
market activities. Holding onto
certain types of investments at
the wrong time can be
detrimental to one’s financial
situation.
5. Do not get attached to certain types of
investments
• Success in one area can cause an
investor to become biased against
diversification. In the same regard,
an investor could also become
biased to one type of investment
based on familiarity – it’s just what
they’ve always done.
Unfortunately, says Jameson Van
Houten, this makes a person’s
entire portfolio more heavily
influenced by only a few
investments.
6. Patience is the key
• Investing can be a scary venture
at first, with markets fluctuating
and businesses rising and falling.
Over time, investors should
realize that the market
rebounds from downturns, and
that their long-term goals of
financial security are better
served by taking a deep breath
and riding the wave.