Watching the roller coaster ride of the stock market can make many investors queasy. Even though the stock market has, historically, always trended up, investors can’t help but feel uneasy as they watch the values of their portfolios rise and fall with the market.
Until recently, many retirees have been able to rely upon the three-legged stool of retirement income sources: a defined benefit pension plan that guarantees a lifetime income, their own savings, and the Canada Pension Plan.
When it comes to investing, people can be their own worst enemy. Nearly all of the mistakes made by investors can be attributed to their behaviour, which is typically dictated by their emotions. Fear and greed have ways of influencing the investing decisions of even the most rational people; which is why most investors typically underperform the markets.
Most people would argue that living in a digital world, with instant access to an endless stream of information has made us smarter and more self-empowered than past generations. Investors believe that it has “leveled the playing field”, enabling them to make investment decisions based on the same information once only available to the investment pros.
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