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In my previous blog entry, How to stop sabotaging your own investments I explored how our investing behavior can be a detriment to achieving our goals and how a sound plan can help to keep investors on track. I would like to continue the discussion by further exploring habits that may have a negative effect on investment performance and can pressure investors to deter from their plan.
A look at some of the market movers from the week:
Have you ever Googled your address? Well I did and found more than I bargained for. In a matter of seconds, I was able to find out when I bought my house and at what price, estimated square footage, current estimated price and much more. There was even a 3D picture of my house as if the cameraman was sitting in a tree in my front yard! It got me thinking about how much I could find out about myself. Boy was I surprised. In a matter of minutes I was able to find out my likes, the fact that I had a dog and where I grew up. You would have thought they got all their information from Facebook or my LinkedIn page. The truth is they did.
A look at some of the market movers from the week:
For the majority of Americans, who do not work within the financial industry, a lot of investment jargon can sound like the teacher in Charlie Brown cartoons (wa wa wa wa wa wa wa) – it just sounds like blather. Even if you understand the investment-speak, there are so many other obstacles to understanding your investments, like knowing your investor type, establishing your investor goals, knowing when to save and how much to save, differentiating between investment plans, understanding the structure of different securities, and on and on. Some people enjoy the research and analysis needed to have a good investing plan – and more power to them. For everyone else, it’s nice to have someplace to find good information quickly. During the past four months, Smart401k has released three new educational tools: The Retirement Education Center, the Asset Allocation tool and the Retirement Outlook planning tool. I’d like to talk a little about who should be doing what with each resource.
A look at some of the market movers over the past week:
A few weeks ago I received a call from a new Smart401k member. This individual was upset about how much money they lost during the bear market of 2008 and early 2009. They were worried that they would never have enough saved for retirement and would have to, as this individual put it, “work until the day I die.” The member asked me to give them one good reason to keep investing if they didn’t think they would be able to retire. I’ll admit that I was a little stunned by the question at first, but after thinking about it for a minute, I came up with four pretty good reasons.
A look at some of the market movers over the past week:
*Please note that this blog posting is a slightly modified version of a blog entry originally posted 7/31/2009. We call our re-posted blog program Second Chance: Blog Posts Worth Re-reading, and we only include our favorite blog posts.
Around each holiday, I try to remind myself of the true significance of the celebration, since tradition often shrouds the actual meaning. This time of year it’s easy to get caught up in the barbeques, parades and fireworks, while overlooking an event that took place 234 years ago. On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, marking the official break from British rule and the birth of the United States of America. The events of July 4, 1776, were the culmination of years of careful planning and sacrifices.
I frequently get calls from investors concerned about a number of factors they feel can sabotage their effort to achieve investment goals: soaring government spending, rising public debt and interest rates are all valid concerns. However, there is another factor that can do even more harm to the performance of retirement accounts – investor behavior. It has been widely publicized that many investors act irrationally when making decisions about their investments. Behavioral economists, like Kahnemann and Tversky, have published extensive research about how we make decisions, some of which are not in our own best interest. Investment performance, whether positive or negative, can be a powerful force, influencing individuals to take actions without considering the long-term implications. Luckily investors have complete control of their investing choices. Understanding potential mistakes can help you prepare for the future.
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