Last year’s market roller coaster ended with a rapid and dramatic surge upward followed by amplified short-term volatility. Understandably, these conditions have left investors wondering what to do now and many are tempted to take profits, pull out of the market, or wait on the sidelines.

After the year we have had its easy to understand how investors may have become fatigued and disoriented. Taking a step back and looking at things over a longer time period can help to regain a sense of balance and perspective. The ability to look past today’s headlines is key to long-term investing. Over the ten-year period of 2010 – 2019, the market generated an impressive annualized return of 13.6%, but you would not have known it from the headlines.

With the election year fury reaching its apex, it is easy to believe that political outcomes in November will have a significant impact on your investments. The table below looks at how markets have fared depending on who controls the White House, Senate and House of Representatives. Interestingly the markets have done best when Republicans control Congress and Democrats control the White House.

Many investors wait until they have “enough” money or for when it’s “a good time” to invest in the market. Making regular contributions regardless of these concerns is one of the most powerful ways to build wealth. The table below highlights the value of making regular contributions compared to periodic contributions over 10-, 20- and 30-year periods. Even though the same principal amount is invested, the result is dramatically different with nearly twice the wealth creation.

Investors often fret about the market environment and ask if they should invest now or hold off for a better time. For long-term investors, making regular contributions is more important than when the contributions are made each year. The table below shows there is not much gained by perfectly timing contributions each year.

The market and economy have gone through unprecedented events with a global pandemic, the shut-down of economies, massive government intervention and dramatic market swings. In the wake, marketers and pundits are in full force touting recent short-term results along with market predictions and a slew of slick products to go with them. While things may have stabilized, there is still an abundance of uncertainty. Now is not the time to make dramatic changes to your overall investment approach. Taking a long-term perspective can help to avoid costly mistakes.