When The World Feels Uncertain

If you’ve felt a little uneasy lately, you’re not alone.

Spring can already have a crummy element to it because we’re paying taxes. But the noise has been extra loud this time around, and markets have been working through a good bit of uncertainty. 

Even if the headlines haven’t directly affected your day-to-day life, it’s hard not to wonder: What does this mean for my family and for my future?

I want to take a moment this afternoon to acknowledge that. I understand why you’d have concerns.

Brenda and I find the Focus sketch helpful during times like this. We’re not perfect at it, but we try to focus our time, attention, and capital in that shaded area.

Your financial plan lives in that shaded area.

The economy, markets, global events, and political decisions definitely have real impacts on us. They matter. 

But they also fall outside of our control.

So, what the heck does that mean? Am I saying you have to be passive and just let things happen to you?

Definitely not.

We gain control of our situation by taking action on how we invest, how we structure our income, how much risk we take, and how prepared we are for different scenarios. These things fall inside the shaded area.

And keep in mind – volatility was built into our plan. We don’t build the retirement income plan for calm, predictable environments.

It was intentionally created to help you navigate uncertainty—wars, recessions, elections, inflation, politics, and market volatility.

You’re likely in a good place if you were intentional about setting up your portfolio -- even if the headlines say otherwise.

But if you feel like you need to pivot based on new info, we can go back to the drawing board together and see if changes are necessary.

As always, if anything you’re seeing or hearing has you concerned, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m happy to think through it with you.

Best,

Ben Earls, CFP®, CEPA®