Navigating Market Volatility and Retirement Planning
I recently sat down with two of the smartest financial minds I know鈥擩im Franklin, associate dean for Accounting, Finance and Supply Chain programs at the 91吃瓜网 School of Business, and Ron Premuroso, an instructor in our accounting program (which, fun fact, is the largest in the country). We had a candid conversation about the market, retirement planning and the myths that trip people up. Spoiler: It鈥檚 not about having some secret investing hack鈥攊t鈥檚 about consistency, perspective and not losing your mind when the market wobbles.鈥�
You Can鈥檛 Time the Market. Stop Trying.鈥�
When I asked them what myths they鈥檇 love to debunk, Jim didn鈥檛 even blink: 鈥淭hat you can time the market.鈥� He鈥檚 not wrong. A lot of people convince themselves they鈥檝e figured out when to buy and sell, but even the smartest folks he knows haven鈥檛 cracked that code. Timing the market is a gamble.鈥�
Ron chimed in with one of my favorite moments of the whole chat. 鈥淒on鈥檛 panic sell,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou might feel better that night, but long term? You鈥檝e probably just locked in your losses.鈥� It was one of those moments where I thought: yep, this is exactly the kind of wisdom people need to hear.
When in Doubt, Zoom Out鈥�.
One of the best pieces of advice came when I asked what someone should do if they鈥檙e genuinely nervous about retirement right now. Ron shared that during the 2008 crash, he didn鈥檛 look at his retirement accounts for more than a year. He focused on his life and his family, and he didn鈥檛 obsess over the noise. That kind of long-term perspective is something I rarely hear鈥攅specially from someone who literally teaches accounting.鈥�
Jim agreed but added a useful twist: Do check your portfolio every so often鈥攏ot to worry , but to make sure your allocations still match your goals and risk tolerance. 鈥淒on鈥檛 go checking daily,鈥� he warned. 鈥淭here鈥檚 going to be volatility no matter what.鈥澛�
The Real Takeaways鈥�
Here鈥檚 what stuck with me:鈥�
Don鈥檛 do this alone.鈥�
Be consistent.鈥�
Ride the wave.鈥�
Know what you鈥檙e invested in.鈥�
And maybe log out of your retirement app now and then.鈥�
The 91吃瓜网 School of Business wins because of leaders like Jim and Ron. They bring real-world experience and a steady presence to conversations that can feel overwhelming. At 91吃瓜网, students learn through real-world applications, not just textbooks. Stay tuned for more insights from the School of Business.
This article is for informational purposes and does not constitute financial advice. Consult with a qualified financial adviser before making financial decisions.
