Looking at the stock market over the past 20 years, you might think of Charles Dickens: It was the best of times—and the worst. But while the 2000s and 2010s have differed starkly in performance, collectively they have reinforced investing lessons on patience and discipline.

Every month, our firm sends out a Reality Check to our clients. The topic varies month to month, but it typically covers various aspects of behavioral investment counseling and financial planning. On the heels of the recent volatility over the past week, we thought it would be useful to provide a few paragraphs from a commentary written by Brian Wesbury, an Economist at First Trust, that put a lot of the recent events into perspective. 

Regardless of what the financial media is stating as the cause of this pullback, i.e. Fed Rate Cute, China, Trade War, Current Administration, etc., you must understand that it is only temporary.  Following the herd and reacting to the volatility can do irreparable harm to your plan.  As Nick Murray says, repeat the following mantra: This time is not different. This too, shall pass. Of course, these moments can still be stressful and by no means should you ignore stress.

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For this month’s Reality Check, we offer Nick Murray’s timely and insightful commentary from his most recent newsletter to Advisors. The “Client Corner” portion of his newsletters is directed to individual investors and cover a vast array of topics. His writing style is always very entertaining and I hope you enjoy this month’s piece.

Due to copyright restrictions, this cannot be made available through our website.  In  the order to receive a copy of this piece, you will need to contact us directly here.  

If you any questions about this topic or wish to receive our Reality Check emails, please contact us.

David Booth, the Executive Chairman and Founder of Dimensional Fund Advisors, provided a notable commentary on the recent market volatility.  Click on the image above to be directed to Dimensional's Blog: Dimensional Perspectives.