Market volatility refers to extreme price movements over a given period. These movements may occur in a particular area, such as real estate or shares, and may be upward or downward.

Ever since COVID-19 started spreading across the world in late 2019, affecting every aspect of our lives, the term ‘market volatility’ has been hitting headlines.

But, what does market volatility mean? And what might it mean for your finances?

Market volatility can feel like a one-off crisis. However, it’s important to remember that volatility is in the very nature of markets. Fluctuations are bound to occur and, sometimes, they’re rather extreme.

For instance, in February and March 2020, markets dropped 37%, but fast-forward to the June quarter, and they picked up 16%. That’s quite a wild swing. Anyone who panicked and withdrew from the market at the end of March would have missed out on the subsequent gains.

In the scheme of things, three months isn’t long at all. In the 141 years since the ASX was established, there have been 28 negative years, and the rest have been positive. In other words, each year, the average investor has a 1 in 5 chance of a setback, but a 1 in 4 chance of making gains.

Further, in the 20 years leading up to 2018, the ten best days in the market were responsible for 50% of returns.

During downturns, it’s easy to be swayed by the news. Headlines often focus on the negatives. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, the emotional impact of worrying financial news was intensified by the fact that the virus itself was new and unknown. Plus, so many people were unable to go to their workplaces, or catch up with friends and relatives.

If you were reading the headlines and not speaking to anyone about them, you may have been susceptible to making big financial decisions based on your emotional reactions.

That’s why it’s important to speak to your financial adviser, who will remind you of your long term plan—and that a downturn is just a short term blip, when you think of the next 20 years.

Source: TAL