The recent volatile price action in the stock market has been scary for some investors, especially younger ones just dipping their toes into putting money away for the long-term.
Still, financial experts say that now is a good time for people to start investing or to continue to add money into stocks.
“Our younger clients and investors are scared; they’re concerned about what they should do because a lot of them have not been through this before,” said Anh Tran, a certified financial planner and managing partner at Orange, California-based SageMint Wealth during CNBC’s Own Your Money (…Before it Owns You) event Thursday.
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Her advice as an advisor, however, is for her clients to remember that they’re investing for the long-term and help them control their emotions.
“These are the times that we should take advantage of the market’s volatility and continue to invest,” she said, adding that consistency is an important part of building wealth.
Opportunities in the dip
For young investors with the longest time horizons to plan for retirement, today’s market downturn also provides an opportunity, according to Paula Pant, host of the podcast “Afford Anything.”
“A dip is your best friend,” she said. “So, buy the dip, take advantage of the fact that prices are low right now and don’t try to time the market.”
The best days in the stock market generally follow the worst slumps, so if you continue to put money in even when prices are going down, you’re setting yourself up for major gains on the upside. Regardless of how far you are from retirement, that can set you up for long-term success.
“Starting during what seems to be a pullback gives you an accelerant,” said Pant.
Saving smart
Of course, Pant also noted that having a properly balanced portfolio for your age, investment time horizon, goals and risk tolerance is as important as consistently investing.
If you’re not sure of those key aspects of saving, it can be beneficial to seek professional help, said Tran.
“Unless you’re doing this for a living, everyone can benefit from professional financial advice,” she said, adding that there are many levels of help available for people at every stage of life and budget.
If you’re saving for retirement through an employer-sponsored 401(k), it’s also important to make sure you’re optimizing that benefit, according to Gorick Ng, author of “The Unspoken Rules.“
Top of mind is making sure you’re putting enough money away from each paycheck to ensure you’re getting your employer match if one is offered.
“If you say no to such an option, you’re saying no to free money that your employer was prepared to give you,” said Ng. Over time, missing out on those gains could have a major impact on your portfolio and retirement timeline.
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