Staying Steady When the Market Isn’t
A simple plan for getting through rough patches with confidence
The Market's Been Bumpy—That’s Normal
If you’ve checked your investments lately, you’ve probably noticed: things are a little shaky. The stock market has dipped, and the news sounds pretty loud about it.
One topic getting a lot of attention right now? Tariffs. But here’s the truth: it’s rarely just one thing causing the ups and downs.
Markets move like the weather. Lots of factors come into play—interest rates, world events, business earnings, and yes, investor emotions. It’s always a mix, and that’s nothing new.
Look at the Bigger Picture
Market swings are part of the deal. Always have been.
Back in 1987, the market dropped 22% in one day. In 2020, COVID shook everything. But in every case, people who stayed calm and stuck with their plan came out okay—often better.
Markets go down, then they come back up. Over time, they grow. The trick is to stay in long enough to see it happen.
What You Can Control
You can’t control the headlines. But you can control how you react. At DWS, we help our clients focus on what actually matters—like having a solid plan and sticking to it.
Here are three simple ways to stay grounded:
1. Use the “Bucket” Approach
Think of your money in three buckets:
Bucket 1: Short-term – Cash and safe investments for the next 0-5 years.
Bucket 2: Mid-term – A mix of investments for the next 5-10 years.
Bucket 3: Long-term – Stocks for growth 10+ years from now.
This way, a market dip today doesn’t affect your grocery bill tomorrow. You’ve already planned ahead.
2. Rebalance When Needed
Over time, some parts of your portfolio grow faster than others. Rebalancing is just about adjusting things back to your original plan—selling a little of what’s gone up and buying what’s gone down.
It’s a smart way to stay on track without chasing headlines.
3. Stick With It
The best days in the market often show up right after the worst ones. If you jump out, you might miss the rebound.
Staying invested takes patience—but it works.
Final Thought
There will always be something making noise in the news—tariffs, inflation, elections. But you don’t have to react to every wave. The real power is in staying calm, having a plan, and focusing on what matters most to you. If you ever want to talk it through, we’re here.
Let’s keep moving forward—together.
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Advisory services through Discipline Wealth Solutions, Inc. The Stahlnecker Group and Discipline Wealth Solutions, Inc are separate and independent entities. The articles and opinions expressed in this newsletter were gathered from a variety of sources, but are reviewed by Discipline Wealth Solutions prior to its dissemination. All sources are believed to be reliable but do not constitute specific investment advice.
Investing involves risks. Investments are not guaranteed and may lose value. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve future profits or losses similar to those shown. You should not assume that investment decisions we make in the future will be profitable or equal the investment performance of the past. Past performance does not indicate future results.
