Imagine you're driving through thick fog. You can’t see more than 30 feet ahead, but you trust your GPS to guide you to your destination. That’s what long-term investing is like. The future is uncertain — always has been, always will be — but your financial plan acts as your GPS.
And your advisor? They’re not a fortune teller riding shotgun. They’re the person who helped program your route, and they’ll ride with you until you get there.
Economic headlines. Political shifts. Market volatility. None of these is new. What matters isn’t predicting what happens next. It’s planning how you’ll respond, no matter what happens.
Here are three key truths worth remembering:
Every year brings “unprecedented” events: rate hikes, elections, bank collapses, and geopolitical shocks. Yet, history shows us that unpredictability is the norm.
Trying to forecast the next big surprise is a fool’s errand. It’s not that research or analysis isn’t helpful; it’s just that no expert has a consistent track record of getting it right.
“Far more money has been lost by investors trying to anticipate corrections than has been lost in the corrections themselves.” – Peter Lynch, One Up on Wall Street
Let’s say you had tomorrow’s headlines today. Would that guarantee better investment decisions?
Not necessarily. Markets can rise in the middle of recessions. Good news can lead to selloffs. Bad news might already be priced in. Predicting the event doesn’t mean predicting the market response.
“The stock market has predicted nine of the last five recessions.” – Paul Samuelson, Nobel Laureate
Reacting to headlines can often lead investors down a path of fear, poor timing, and regret. The most painful investing emotion isn’t fear — it’s regret from abandoning a plan and missing the rebound.
Smart investors don’t wait for a crisis to decide what to do. They "pre-cide" — making decisions ahead of time based on a long-term strategy. This is why we:
“Investors act continuously on a plan, irrespective of events. Speculators react continually to — or worse, try to anticipate — events.” – Nick Murray, Behavioral Investment Counseling
A solid financial plan is created in calm, not chaos. It helps you avoid emotionally driven decisions when headlines become overwhelming.
Your financial advisor isn’t trying to predict market movements. And that’s a good thing.
Their true value lies in:
They’ve traveled this path before, with hundreds of families. They know the terrain. Their experience helps you stay focused, confident, and grounded in your strategy.
A financial advisor helps you build and stick to a long-term plan based on your goals. A market forecaster tries to predict short-term movements. The former can help build wealth, while the latter often involves more risk.
No. Even professionals and economists regularly miss the mark. That’s why research shows that long-term planning outperforms short-term guessing (Dalbar, 2023).
Behavioral finance helps you identify emotional biases that can lead to poor decisions. Advisors trained in this area serve as guides through uncertainty and market volatility, providing clarity and direction during times of uncertainty and market volatility.
Let’s not build your financial future on economic guesswork. Let’s build it on a solid, personalized plan, one that adapts to changing conditions without reacting to every headline.
Because while markets fluctuate, investors with a plan tend to reach their goals.
Ready to build a strategy you can count on — in any market? Schedule a conversation with our team today.
*Asset allocation does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss in declining markets. There is no guarantee that a diversified portfolio will outperform a non-diversified portfolio or that diversification among asset classes will reduce risk.
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Shane Tenny, CFP®, is the Managing Partner of Spaugh Dameron Tenny and a nationally recognized financial advisor. Since 2000, he has combined extensive financial knowledge with a passion for behavioral finance—helping clients make informed decisions based on both data and mindset. Shane often contributes to industry publications, appears as a guest on podcasts, and has been a leader in the financial planning field for years. He is known for making complex topics clear and practical for busy, high-income professionals seeking personalized advice they can trust.
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