Decision-Making Under Uncertainty
Investors face a very different environment today. While the future is always uncertain, today’s environment may be even more uncertain. We are living in a time of increasing inflation, increasing interest rates, and tighter fiscal and monetary policy. We aren’t used to this.
Making good decisions is always desirable. But when we face greater uncertainty, it is important that we trust whatever decision we make. A decision that looks to be “bad” in the short term can be quite profitable in the long run, and vice versa. So, how can we develop greater confidence in our decisions and trust them, even when they may not look so great in the short run?
Three Steps to Trusting Your Decisions
- Take Your Time. It is normal and natural to react to things based on emotions and intuition. The brain wants to solve things quickly, so we need to engage the reflective part of our brain by seeking additional information and not reacting hastily.
- Gather Information. We should spend a significant chunk of our time gathering information, including contradictory information. This helps us see things from various points of view rather than the loudest, or most repeated, viewpoints.
- Talk It Out. We would love to help you gather information, ask the right questions, and have a thoughtful discussion. Including an honest and objective 3rd party to help you think and talk through things is one of the best things we can do anytime we face an important choice.
We cannot control nor predict the markets, and that is OK. Because we can control how we think, analyze, and respond to the markets. We have found that how investors respond has a significant impact on their ultimate results. We are here to help you obtain the best results, despite challenging markets.
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