Years ago I read about a financial company having a problem. Retirees were sitting in the lobby watching the stock prices scroll across the display, and if the price dipped, they would alert their broker.
They were driving the broker crazy.
The stock market doesn't work that way; I think in our hearts we all know this.
The other extreme is not checking for years. Some people are afraid to open the envelope or the email. Like a lot of things in life, there is a balance.
The best comparison is getting an annual physical. Maybe if you have a certain condition your doctor will request more frequent visits. I'm not suggesting an annual check on investments is enough, but it may be. If you are tempted to buy and sell and move things around each time you log on to your investment account, then maybe you are thinking about it too much.
This is a personal matter, of course, but here are some ideas:
1. Annual is better than nothing.
2. If you have a major life event, that is a good time.
3. If you monitor your investments and your budget at the same time, then monthly might work.
4. If the market is very different or the geopolitical situation has significant changes, then you would benefit from checking.
If you are on track, the best action is to take no action but to stay the course. The market will fall, sometimes drastically, and no one can guarantee you it will always come back. There is no guarantee. But statistically speaking, the odds are good that it will come back. Then you will be happy that you kept checking but didn't make radical moves based on fear or emotion.
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