Posted on 9th March 2020

I’m sure you’re all well aware of the latest Coronavirus hysteria taking hold in the world, so I’ll keep this short and sweet.

It’s at market extremes that I think it’s fair to say a few words. As your caring, considerate lifetime Financial Adviser I will only ever tell you the unvarnished truth as I see it.

My family’s life savings are invested in the most volatile (‘most risky’) portfolio we have, so I’ve felt every drop of the latest market movement. The market is there to test successful investors, this is another test. The long term market advance is permanent, however we have periods of temporary declines and every so often deep temporary declines (which is what we’re experiencing now). History being our guide confirms that all the declines have been temporary and trying to time them would have be impossible.

The portfolio that you’re invested in (Maven Invest) was perfectly set up on day 1 of our relationship. My job as your Financial Adviser is to spend the next 10,000+ days ensuring you stick to it and stay invested. Your investment portfolio is the funding vehicle for your financial plan, which I have built for you all. Listing all of your life goals and transitions. Our portfolios are globally well diversified and are fit for purpose through all market cycles. In effect we don’t need to react to this latest crisis, we’re already correctly set up.

The main stream financial media are there to try and knock you and your financial plan of course, they don’t know (or care) about your long term financial goals. The weather channel loves hurricanes, the main stream media love a great news story. I’m certainly not downplaying the virus, I’m not qualified to but as a student of history, we’ve been here before and we’ll no doubt be here again. History being our guide the stock market always recovers.

Feeling fearful at market extremes is absolutely fine, we’re all human, but acting on the fear is when people make grave financial mistakes of which they sometimes never recover. I exist to ensure you don’t make any financial mistakes.

If you’re investing every month (which the bulk of you are) this is a temporary market sale, which is good news for your automatic monthly investment premiums.

A word from Mr Warren Buffett

"When we own portions of outstanding businesses with outstanding managements, our favourite holding period is forever."

We own all of the outstanding businesses, that’s what a diversified portfolio does.

I have two jobs to do for you:

1: removed (reduce) your financial anxiety.

2: promote great long term financial behaviours.

The rest of what I do is admin and plumbing.

If you wish to discuss anything please call my mobile, as always, I’m here for you.

Andy