Why is investment failure most often caused by human error? When an airplane crashes or train wrecks or car crashes, occasionally, the cause is sometimes some sort of mechanical failure but more often than not the root cause of the disaster is “operator error.” I am proposing that investment failure in terms of the stock market is often human error.
Taking Care of the Details are often easy to procrastinate about and rationalize delaying action. When are you prone to procrastinate? Yard work? Laundry? Taxes? Oil changes? Dirty dishes? Saving for retirement? Life insurance? Your estate planning? Project for work? One of my favorite T-shirts says “Don’t Rush Me, I Am Waiting for the Last Minute.”
What should I do with a financial windfall?” is a question I am often asked. As in, “I just got my government stimulus check.” Or maybe, “I got a raise at work so I have more income, what is the best use of the extra money?” Or perhaps, “I inherited some money from my grandmother what should I do?”
The previous twelve months was a reminder of the stock market’s perseverance. Hold onto your hat as you read this, since the moves were dramatic. The S&P 500 peaked at 3,380 on February 19, 2020. By March 23, the index dropped 1,089 points or 32% in a mere twenty-three trading days. (1) One year after a peak, then a decline of 32%, the S&P 500 index is 16% higher than a year earlier. “who woulda thunk?
