It’s easy to be confident in your investment approach when the markets are primarily going up.
But what happens when you add a little volatility to the mix?
“Markets have gone up by more than 250 per cent since the last recession, with very little volatility until recently. This is not normal – people have forgotten what normal volatility feels like,” says Tanya Wilson, a Kelowna-based financial advisor with Raymond James. “People have become complacent in their risk tolerance assessments.”
The problem with emotion-based decision-making
Complacency can lead to emotional decision-making when volatility does happen, and that’s when investors make the biggest mistakes.
Investors feel most at ease with investing when news is good, usually at the top of the market, and feel the most fear about investing when news is bad, usually at the bottom of the market. Giving in to these fears and allowing them to control investment decision-making can result in very poor investment performance.
“Money is emotional, so it’s natural, as humans, to allow emotions into the equation, but approaching investment decisions from a place of fear or greed is how we can make bad decisions,” Wilson says.
High risk doesn’t always equate to high returns, and those who get caught up in fads or buying the “sure thing,” can put their investment portfolios at risk. “I know of investors who have lost everything because they heard about the stock of a company that’s ‘guaranteed’ to go up,” Wilson says.
Is your retirement plan too risky?
For those nearing retirement, this long period of growth – and resulting complacency – may have led to investment plans that carry considerable risk.
“I believe that many investors, especially those close to retirement, have too much risk in their investment portfolios, and that’s happened because the markets have performed so well over the past decade,” Wilson reflects.
Assessing someone’s risk tolerance – and ensuring it’s reflected in their investment strategies – is difficult when markets are only going up, especially when an advisor hasn’t been through a full market cycle themselves, or experienced a recession.
“This is why you should work with a skilled, trusted advisor who has a significant amount of experience and education, and preferably one who works for an independent wealth management firm without targets for selling proprietary investment products. The clients’ best interests should always be the advisor’s No. 1 consideration.”
The core values of Raymond James and their advisors are conservatism, client-first, and integrity. This is reflected in the level of service their client’s experience.
“My team and I have a process which focuses on prudent risk management through financial planning. This is the blueprint for our investment strategy decisions. During times of heightened market volatility, our clients have a lot of peace of mind in our investment strategy and their financial well-being.”
Tanya Wilson is a financial advisor with Raymond James Ltd. Information provided is not a solicitation and although obtained from sources considered reliable, is not guaranteed. The view and opinions contained in the article are those of the author, not Raymond James Ltd. Raymond James Ltd. member of Canadian Investor Protection Fund.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was down more than 200 points in late-morning trading, weighed down by losses in the technology, base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets also fell.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 239.24 points at 22,749.04.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 312.36 points at 40,443.39. The S&P 500 index was down 80.94 points at 5,422.47, while the Nasdaq composite was down 380.17 points at 16,747.49.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.80 cents US compared with 74.00 cents US on Thursday.
The October crude oil contract was down US$1.07 at US$68.08 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.26 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$2.10 at US$2,541.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$4.10 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in technology, financial and energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also pushed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 171.41 points at 23,298.39.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 278.37 points at 41,369.79. The S&P 500 index was up 38.17 points at 5,630.35, while the Nasdaq composite was up 177.15 points at 17,733.18.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.19 cents US compared with 74.23 cents US on Wednesday.
The October crude oil contract was up US$1.75 at US$76.27 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.10 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$18.70 at US$2,556.50 an ounce and the December copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.22 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.
The crypto market has recently experienced a significant downturn, mirroring broader risk asset sell-offs. Over the past week, Bitcoin’s price dropped by 24%, reaching $53,000, while Ethereum plummeted nearly a third to $2,340. Major altcoins also suffered, with Cardano down 27.7%, Solana 36.2%, Dogecoin 34.6%, XRP 23.1%, Shiba Inu 30.1%, and BNB 25.7%.
The severe downturn in the crypto market appears to be part of a broader flight to safety, triggered by disappointing economic data. A worse-than-expected unemployment report on Friday marked the beginning of a technical recession, as defined by the Sahm Rule. This rule identifies a recession when the three-month average unemployment rate rises by at least half a percentage point from its lowest point in the past year.
Friday’s figures met this threshold, signaling an abrupt economic downshift. Consequently, investors sought safer assets, leading to declines in major stock indices: the S&P 500 dropped 2%, the Nasdaq 2.5%, and the Dow 1.5%. This trend continued into Monday with further sell-offs overseas.
The crypto market’s rapid decline raises questions about its role as either a speculative asset or a hedge against inflation and recession. Despite hopes that crypto could act as a risk hedge, the recent crash suggests it remains a speculative investment.
Since the downturn, the crypto market has seen its largest three-day sell-off in nearly a year, losing over $500 billion in market value. According to CoinGlass data, this bloodbath wiped out more than $1 billion in leveraged positions within the last 24 hours, including $365 million in Bitcoin and $348 million in Ether.
Khushboo Khullar of Lightning Ventures, speaking to Bloomberg, argued that the crypto sell-off is part of a broader liquidity panic as traders rush to cover margin calls. Khullar views this as a temporary sell-off, presenting a potential buying opportunity.
Josh Gilbert, an eToro market analyst, supports Khullar’s perspective, suggesting that the expected Federal Reserve rate cuts could benefit crypto assets. “Crypto assets have sold off, but many investors will see an opportunity. We see Federal Reserve rate cuts, which are now likely to come sharper than expected, as hugely positive for crypto assets,” Gilbert told Coindesk.
Despite the recent volatility, crypto continues to make strides toward mainstream acceptance. Notably, Morgan Stanley will allow its advisors to offer Bitcoin ETFs starting Wednesday. This follows more than half a year after the introduction of the first Bitcoin ETF. The investment bank will enable over 15,000 of its financial advisors to sell BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC. This move is seen as a significant step toward the “mainstreamization” of crypto, given the lengthy regulatory and company processes in major investment banks.
The recent crypto market downturn highlights its volatility and the broader economic concerns affecting all risk assets. While some analysts see the current situation as a temporary sell-off and a buying opportunity, others caution against the speculative nature of crypto. As the market evolves, its role as a mainstream alternative asset continues to grow, marked by increasing institutional acceptance and new investment opportunities.
