In this fast-paced digital era, your smartphone is likely always close by, serving as a gateway to your investment account(s). While easy access to your portfolio has its advantages, it can also lead to impulsive and potentially damaging investment behavior.
Even the most successful, rational investors sometimes experience feelings of anxiety when they encounter market volatility like what we’re experiencing these days.
While it can be tempting to make a knee-jerk trading decision when emotions are high, well-designed mobile investment applications offer features that inspire healthier investment choices that support a long-term, stay-the-course strategy aligned with your goals and risk tolerance.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Here are four ways that digital tools and features can help balance emotion and logic in your investment decisions:
No. 1: Portfolio reviews over time
While staying the course is generally the best all-weather approach, emotions can undoubtedly influence your investment approach. Emotions like optimism for your family's future or pride in your accomplishments can propel you to invest in the first place.
When the market turns in your favor, it can fill you with confidence. But when it goes down, it can prompt unhealthy and potentially damaging reactions.
Many investment apps allow investors to look back at their portfolio’s performance over periods of time — often helping to show that avoiding an impulsive reaction to market volatility has been a long-term net-positive for their performance.
This can offer valuable perspective for investors, helping to reframe emotions and reinforce the benefits of adhering to a well-planned investment strategy.
This is consistent with Vanguard's goals-based investment philosophy, which advocates for maintaining long-term discipline and diversification.
However, this does not necessarily ensure a profit or protect against loss, as all investing is subject to risk. That’s why we offer Portfolio Watch, a tool in our mobile app that helps you understand your portfolio composition and mix at a granular level by comparing it with a target portfolio, using historical data, to show how a hypothetical portfolio would’ve performed over time.
By reflecting on how portfolios performed during previous periods, investors can see the benefits of their disciplined approach and reinforce their commitment to their long-term goals. Just keep in mind that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns.
No. 2: Digital thought leadership libraries
Many investment apps serve not just as a tool for reviewing your portfolio but as a portal to a comprehensive digital library.
This repository could include insights on retirement planning, portfolio optimization and the fundamentals of investing, presented through articles, videos and tutorials.
When your emotions are high, you may be well served to take time to pause and reevaluate your thinking.
Often, well-targeted and relevant thought leadership and insights can help contextualize what’s going on in the market and provide critical perspective to balance out emotional drivers.
These resources typically include historical market trends, investment strategy tools and reminders about the importance of maintaining your approach.
By staying informed and grounded, you can make more confident and strategic decisions about your portfolio.
No. 3: Digital alerts
Investors can benefit from tools that keep them focused and enable timely decisions. Digital alerts can help investors by providing real-time notifications of important market trends in a way that encourages thoughtful consideration and accountability, reducing the effects of emotion.
For example, Vanguard shares a notification in our mobile app that links to trading best practices, like using order types, when volatility reaches high levels.
Paying attention to messages like these can help you maintain control over your investments and reduce the impact of emotional decision-making during a period of volatility.
No. 4: Personalized guidance
Sometimes navigating volatility requires real-time decision-making and planning in advance. Instead of feeling inclined to sell or drastically change your portfolio when the market ebbs and flows, review your broader financial plan, check your portfolio diversification and risk tolerance, and identify any steps you might be missing to fulfill your goals.
Your smartphone can help, as many investment providers offer proactive nudges to help you take actionable next steps toward meeting your investment goals.
Sometimes emotion gets in the way, and proactive messages can remind investors that they have a goal — for example, they want to save for retirement or prepare for their child’s education expenses. Interventions include SMS notifications to not miss the IRA contribution deadline or to alert you to a new 529 account savings opportunity.
Such “to-dos” can help you refocus on the rational reasons for the decisions and minimize the emotional impact by helping you take your next best action.
By staying focused on your long-term objectives and leveraging these tools, you can make healthier moves in your portfolio.
Staying the course
Successfully navigating the market requires consistency and focusing on long-term goals. While it may be tempting to overhaul your investment strategy in response to your emotions, such drastic changes often lead to poor outcomes.
Instead, relying on a well-considered investment plan, available mobile app features and strategies that balance emotion and logic will help you make decisions that align with your long-term objectives.
Related Content
- Stick to the Plan: Don't Panic During Economic Uncertainty
- Three Keys to Logical Investing When Markets Are Volatile
- Market Volatility Tempting You to Get Out? Read This First
- During Market Volatility, Avoid These Common Investing Pitfalls
- Four Historical Patterns in the Markets for Investors to Know
-
S&P 500 Hits New Highs as Rally Resumes: Stock Market TodayTech stocks were the biggest gainers on Wall Street today, with Nvidia and Dell making notable moves.
-
The Shutdown Standoff Is Heading for Its Next Big TestA key mid-October deadline could intensify the shutdown fight in Washington, and the fallout could soon hit workers and your wallet.
-
S&P 500 Hits New Highs as Rally Resumes: Stock Market Today
Tech stocks were the biggest gainers on Wall Street today, with Nvidia and Dell making notable moves.
-
Should You Buy Gold as It Tops $4,000? Here's What the Experts SayRate cuts, a weak dollar and macro uncertainty have helped create a "perfect storm" for gold this year. Should investors add exposure or is it too late to buy?
-
Preferred Bank Stocks: The Investment Retirees (and Others) May Be Missing Out OnMost large banks issue preferred stocks that pay out fixed dividends, often with higher yields than bonds. Should you make room for them in your portfolio?
-
Don't Let Your Equity Compensation Trip You Up: A Financial Expert's GuideStock options, RSUs and other executive perks can come with some serious strings attached. To avoid a nasty tax surprise, you need a plan.
-
Rally Fades on Mixed AI Revolution News: Stock Market TodayAll three main U.S. equity indexes opened higher but closed lower as a seven-session winning streak for the S&P 500 came to an end.
-
The Spendthrift Trap: Here's One Way to Protect Your Legacy From an Irresponsible HeirA spendthrift clause in an estate plan can protect an inheritance from a financially irresponsible child's debts and poor decisions.
-
Adapting to AI's Evolving Landscape: A Survival Guide for BusinessesLike it or not, AI is here to stay, and opting out could be disastrous for your organization. Instead, focus on what you can control and be flexible, as AI is still evolving.
-
S&P, Nasdaq Hit New Highs: Stock Market TodayA late-day rally wasn't enough to lift the Dow into the green as its six-session winning streak came to an end.
