Sushi Money

After last week many investors are wondering if their retirement funds are heading down the drain.  In the space of a few days the Dow lost over 500 points alone, and the index is down almost 20 % from the October highs of over 14,000.  While the volatility continues it looks as if the Bear is on the prowl.

Regardless of your risk tolerance over the past few years, if you’ve sat tight and continued investing it’s not pleasant to watch the markets slowly shrink the size of your portfolio.  What does it all mean?  Most investors see a bear market as something indicating a severe recession, or longer term economic challenges.  That’s not hard to understand with the backdrop of oil exceeding $143 per barrel this morning and well over $4 per gallon of gas at the pump.

So the economy continues as the #1 issue for voters this election cycle.  If the politicians haven’t got that by now they’re probably way behind in the polls.  The one’s that do get it are harping on it continuously, just like the media. 

This morning I watched every major news network talk in depth about the struggling economy and how consumers and investors are on the verge of panic.   I had to turn off the television, in part because it was so negative, and in part because I found myself giving in to the negative mantra that pervades the media these days.   And you know what?  I’m tired of listening to all of it.

Perception shapes the way we feel about many things, including the economy and the nation as a whole.  And the media shapes perception continuously.  Is that any surprise and is it really accurate?  Do we feel the same way about our own lives?  Greg Easterbrook in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece has written of our penchant to focus on the negative:

“The relentlessly negative impressions of American life presented by the media, including the entertainment media, explain something otherwise puzzling that shows up in psychological data. When asked about the country’s economy, schools, health care or community spirit, Americans tell pollsters the situation is dreadful. But when asked about their own jobs, schools, doctors and communities, people tell pollsters the situation is good. Our impressions of ourselves and our neighbors come from personal experience. Our impressions of the nation as a whole come from the media and from political blather, which both exaggerate the negative.”

“The latter has never been thicker. Democrats insist Republicans are ruining domestic policy, Republicans insist Democrats are ruining foreign policy. Neither claim is true, but both reflect what we’ve been conditioned to believe: that America is in much worse circumstances than it actually is.”

That’s why I turned off the television.  If perception is going to influence my life, then I’m going to shape it myself.  Certainly there’s no question that consumer spending behavior is changing all across America, both out of need and concern for the future.  And many people are indeed struggling.  We’re paying more for gas and food, job losses are mounting, real estate is down and our investments haven’t done very well this year. 

Depending upon where you live, the economic conditions may be terrible or they may be pretty good.  Rather than give in to the rampant media circus however, I think it’s time we looked more closely at what I call the Family Economy.  It’s within the family economy that most of us experience the effects of the world around us.  Unfortunately for some families, that means life is very challenging and just putting food on the table may take incredible effort. 

But it’s really not that bad for most people even though that’s what it sounds like in the media.  A lot of folks are doing pretty well regardless of the economic challenges.   We’re healthy, have a roof over our heads, adequate income and a quality of life that is pretty darn good.  How many of us stop and think of the abundance in our lives, and to appreciate what we have each day?

Within our family economy, we can do a lot of things to shape the quality (and perception) of our lives.  Among all else I believe our attitudes and behavior is most important.  The outlook and mindset we carry with us influences those around us (for good or bad) especially in terms of our younger family members.  Children understand little of what influences their world beyond the neighborhood, and the home is often the singular center of social and economic interaction. 

Who leads the family economy?  We do.  The adult family member’s actions, attitudes and behaviors concerning money and economic decisions influences the short and long term outcomes of our lives.  If we are going to succeed and grow as humans within the larger national or global economy, then we better start with our behavior at home.

So rather than worry about the global economy and wringing our hands each day over things we can’t control, I think it’s essential to take a long term view and a more practical approach toward what do have control over.  There are many things we can do to improve our family economy and our future:

• Do your best:  Whatever your job, do the best you can each day, stay focused and be consistent.  There’s nothing an employer likes more than someone who is dedicated, competent and reliable.  If downsizing comes to your career field or employer, you just may be someone who is retained because of your dedication. 
• Increase your skills: If you’re looking for a new job, make yourself as competitive as possible based on education, training and skills.  Maybe it’s time to change careers anyway. If you need more education and training, find a way to get it.  Seek counseling at schools and local career or community centers that can direct you to new programs.  There are many jobs out there, but you may need to move or modify your life situation to tap into that job stream. 
• Change your family’s economy:  That’s right, we must take charge of our family economy!  Not only with our attitude but our daily behaviors: By the way we spend, save and consume. Take a good look at your spending and saving habits, and how efficient your life at home is.  Can you cut back in certain areas such as travel or using electricity?  Is it time to re-think the budget for how often you eat out?  Are there better ways to save money while shopping?  Are there things you can do at home that you were paying someone else to do before?  I think many of us are going through that exercise right now, but it can make a huge difference in our family’s lives.
• Manage debt responsibly:  Most of us have debt of some kind- mortgages, auto loans, credit cards.  Some of this debt may be necessary and can be used responsibly.  But staying out of debt is always a good thing.  Pay off the credit cards, and consider not using them.
• Increase Savings:  If you can’t sleep at night because you’re too worried about the stock market or your investments, then it’s time to re-think your investment approach.  Maybe you need more cash on the sidelines, or a bigger emergency fund.  If so, then do it!  Start saving a little each week, or re-direct your current allocation to a more conservative approach. Look at how much money you’re investing, and direct some money towards a savings account or money market fund.   But remember! Putting money in a low-rate account is a short-term fix.  That money won’t grow over time to beat inflation.  But it will provide peace of mind until you’re comfortable enough with a cash cushion that you can think about investing again.
• Stay Invested:  For those who think the markets will be higher in the years ahead (and count me as one of them), now is a great time to keep investing.  With indexes at multiple-year lows, this is the time dollar-cost averaging really pays off.  It’s also a time for strategic investments if you have the money to invest, and if you are investing beyond 3-5 years.  Adapting to changing market conditions is important, and it may also be time to consider different investment alternatives.
• Appreciate what you have: Within and around our lives we have family, friends and circumstances that we rely on.  It’s easy to take success and abundance for granted.  Even when we are struggling, there is much to be thankful for.  If you feel like your life is so challenging that you don’t know what to do- then seek help!  Talk to a clergyman, a counselor or a medical professional.  If you just ask, there is someone who will help point you in the right direction- but you must also be willing to do something different, which brings me to my final point: 
• Be receptive to change:  Sometimes we’re so focused on our own challenges or pessimism that we’re not open to change or willing to consider new ideas. When change seems very difficult or I’m stuck in a rut, I try to remember a favorite quote by Texas Bix Bender:

When you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.

If something isn’t working for you, take a break, talk to others and see if there might be a different way around the problem.

While the bear market rears its head this election year, you’ve got to do what you must to stay sane.  But remember one thing:  The markets and the economy will be very different 10-20 years from now.  I’m a believer in the U.S. economy over the long term.  And I see our past challenges as paving the way for our future economic well being.  When markets move up again (and they will), it’s going to be a rapid change from the lows.  You want to be in the market when that happens.   

Ben Stein describes it very well: 

“If you know the economic past pretty well, you will also have a pretty good idea of the economic future.”

“Generally, and with few exceptions, “the past is prologue.” Knowledge that the economy and various sectors go through cycles tells you that the time to buy is when securities are beaten down and hated. It tells you that money is made slowly, by patiently investing in widely diversified low-cost indices. It also tells you that there have been so far no endless downtrends and that journalists are not the people to trust for investment wisdom.”

That goes for bloggers too of course.  From an investing standpoint it’s hard to stay bullish over the long term while watching losses mount in the short term.  But don’t give in to short term pessimissm so that it prevents you from long term success!  Can you think of any greater gift to a child or family member than teaching them how to navigate economic challenges, and even grow and succeed over the long term?  That’s the opportunity we have, and within our family economy we can make a difference.  Hang in there, and remember to appreciate what we do have each day.

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