There's something to be said for sticking your head in the sand and ignoring reality. (Photo: Shutterstock)
The 2008-2009 market downturn was the worst fall in the memory of most investors. When they opened their 401(k) statements in the first quarter of 2009, many investors panicked. They committed the second-worst sin an investor can commit: They sold low. (The worst sin is buying high.)
Are we headed for a repetition of this history? We are about to find out (see “4th Quarter Fallout: Mistakes 401k Participant Might Make After Reading Their Latest Statement,” FiduciaryNews.com, January 29, 2019).
This might be hard to believe, but if we are to avoid the problems of panic, we need to learn the lessons of 2008-2009.
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Christopher Carosa
Chris Carosa has been writing a weekly article and monthly column for BenefitsPRO online and BenefitsPRO Magazine since 2011 and is a nationally recognized award-winning writer, researcher and speaker. He’s written seven books, including From Cradle to Retire: The Child IRA; Hey! What’s My Number? – How to Increase the Odds You Will Retire in Comfort; A Pizza The Action: Everything I Ever Learned About Business I Learned By Working in a Pizza Stand at the Erie County Fair; and the widely acclaimed 401(k) Fiduciary Solutions. Carosa is also Chief Contributing Editor of the authoritative trade journal FiduciaryNews.com and publisher of the Mendon-Honeoye Falls-Lima Sentinel, a weekly community newspaper he founded in 1989. Currently serving as President of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and with more than 1,000 articles published in various publications, he appears regularly in the national media. A “parallel” entrepreneur, he actively runs a handful of businesses, including a small boutique investment adviser, providing hands-on experience for his writing. A trained astrophysicist, he also holds an MBA and has been designated a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor. Share your thoughts and story ideas with him through Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/christophercarosa/)and Twitter (https://twitter.com/ChrisCarosa).
