Four Critical Retirement Habits
Retirement planning in this market? Here’s why you might still want to.
Short-term versus Long-term
Two words – retirement planning. It’s the responsible thing to do but in the wake of a market decline it’s becoming increasingly less attractive as cash flow is king. Thinking long-term isn’t the baseline for most because short-term gains and losses bring about a gambler’s fallacy. To financial planners, retirement planning and investments don’t necessarily have to fit the gambler’s fallacy. Historical data shows consistent market returns over long periods between recessions because portfolio value follows economic growth. With more time between recessions there is more time for portfolio growth. So why is it so hard to check on my portfolio today?
Myopic Loss Aversion
The pain of losing money outweighs the pleasure of gaining. Behavioral economists Shlomo Benartzi and Richard Thaler coined the term “myopic loss aversion” which is a phenomenon that describes the constant checking of market movements causing one to lose sight of long-term goals. Coupled with the pain of losing money, myopic loss aversion causes consumers to invest less money in stocks and make less money over long periods of time. According to a Fidelity Investments survey, nearly 45% of Gen Y & Z survey respondents simply don’t see the point of retirement planning while the market continues to decline and their money continues to lose value. Benartzi continues in his paper to explain that investors choose their portfolios “as if they were operating with a time horizon of about one year”. As we have seen in the year 2022, a lot can change in one year. The WSJ and BofA Global Research reported on portfolio risk versus time an investment position was held. If a position was held for one day the risk of negative returns was 46% as compared to one year at 25% and ten years at 6%. The conclusion is simple: the longer your money stays, the less your risk of negative returns.
The Four Retirement Habits
Here are four retirement planning habits that are recommended by behavioral economists and financial planners:
Avoid checking the market and your retirement balance too frequently. Vanguard suggests you look at least once a year at your retirement portfolio, but not more than once per quarter.
Set it and forget it. While technology has contributed largely to myopic loss aversion, it has advanced to a stage where your portfolio can be largely autonomous and personalized.
Create speed bumps. Talk to your advisor or your 401(k) planner, delete those excess apps, and only make moves if your personal situation has changed. This is designed to add one more step of reflection before doing something that isn’t optimal.
Take advantage of employer 401(k) matching – it’s free money!
Be Prepared
If your young clients are pessimistic about retirement planning, help them understand the difference between long-term gains rather than short-term risks. Be prepared to remind them many times over the next few months. Their future selves will thank you.