Stock market corrections aare
a part of life when it comes to investing, and they happen more often
than investors may think. Consider this: Since 1900 there have been 123
market corrections, according to Ned Davis Research, a global investment
firm. A market correction occurs when the stock market declines between
10% and 20%. A bear market happens when the sell-off is greater than
20%.Pretty scary for retirees for sure. But after every stock market
correction ,it took an average of less than a year for stocks to
recover. Even with the stock market crash of 2008
when the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 50%, stocks
rebounded quickly and six years later are trading at all-time highs.
But that knee jerk reaction almost always ends up costing them. When emotion rules, investors end up selling low and buying high. Yes retirees want to preserve their wealth, but they also need it to grow, which means a calmer approach to market corrections.
When it comes to stock investing, retirees are going to want to avoid being over weighted in one stock. They also want to own stock in multiple companies, not just one or two. If retirement investors only have a couple of stocks in their portfolio, they are going to feel much bigger pain than if they have their stock investments spread out in different areas. Undoubtedly on a day when the Dow falls 200 points, everything is going to suffer, but on a non-eventful trading day, not every stock is going to be down at the same time. Because of that, retirees should have a diversified stock portfolio that covers different sectors. The same goes for mutual funds. Investors do not want to have a mutual fund heavily weighted toward large cap stocks when the Dow is tanking.
Leave Panic at the Door
Despite the short-term nature of stock market corrections, investors, particularly ones in retirement, tend to go into panic mode when stocks take a dive, selling their shares in droves and pulling all their money out of the markets. It is understandable. After all, retirees are watching their life savings seemingly evaporate before their eyes.But that knee jerk reaction almost always ends up costing them. When emotion rules, investors end up selling low and buying high. Yes retirees want to preserve their wealth, but they also need it to grow, which means a calmer approach to market corrections.
Take Stock Before Making A Move
Nobody wants to turn on the TV, go online or listen to the radio and hear the stock market is tanking and is in market correction or worse—bear market territory. But when it happens, retirees have to take a few moments before they pick up the phone and call their broker or start placing sell order after sell order. After digesting the news, investors would be best served by going over their portfolio to determine their risk. A call to their stock broker or wealth manager may be warranted but not to tell them to sell, but rather to discuss the overall exposure and risk of the portfolio.Re-Asset Allocation May Be Required
For retirees, risk is an enemy, which means they want to reduce the amount they have in their investment portfolio during a market correction. And that means overhauling their asset allocation for a little while. For instance, retirees can rearrange their allocation, moving some money that is in stocks or equity mutual funds into bonds or bond mutual funds. Retirees do have to keep an eye on interest rates if they are investing in bonds. If the Federal Reserve raises interest rates later this year, bonds with long-term maturities stand to suffer. Short-term bonds and bond funds with maturities of less than five years are a better bet. Money market funds and U.S. Treasury bills are other places to park some money. But again, investors have to be mindful of the prospect for an interest rate increase.Don’t Abandon Stocks Altogether
While moving into safer investments can cushion the fall in a market correction, retirees should still have money invested in the stock market. As history has shown, market corrections don’t last too long and by pulling all of the money out of the stock market, a retiree won’t get to participate in the run back up.When it comes to stock investing, retirees are going to want to avoid being over weighted in one stock. They also want to own stock in multiple companies, not just one or two. If retirement investors only have a couple of stocks in their portfolio, they are going to feel much bigger pain than if they have their stock investments spread out in different areas. Undoubtedly on a day when the Dow falls 200 points, everything is going to suffer, but on a non-eventful trading day, not every stock is going to be down at the same time. Because of that, retirees should have a diversified stock portfolio that covers different sectors. The same goes for mutual funds. Investors do not want to have a mutual fund heavily weighted toward large cap stocks when the Dow is tanking.