Binge Watch Netflix, Not Your Investments
- Wayne Jordan
- Apr 9
- 2 min read
Some investors check their investment accounts daily. We strongly advise against it.
To prove our point, take a look at these two Wall Street Journal headlines — just six days apart:
📰 “U.S. Stocks, Dollar Tumble After Trump Tariffs Blitz”
📰 “Stocks Surge as Trump Authorizes 90-Day Pause on Some Tariffs”
If you were glued to the market during that stretch, you probably felt whiplash. But if you only checked in at the end, the chaos may not have even registered. Same reality, very different experience.
Why Short-Term Movements Don’t Matter for Your Investments
This is a perfect illustration of why investors need to focus less on the short term. Daily market fluctuations — even large ones — often have little to do with the long-term performance of your investments or your ability to meet your financial goals. But the more often you check in, the more tempting it becomes to react rather than stick to the plan.
Watching your portfolio every day is like opening the oven door every five minutes to check on a cake. You won’t make it bake any faster — you’ll just let out the heat and risk messing it up. Let it rise. Let it bake. The good stuff takes time.
At Alpha we build strategies designed to withstand volatility — because we know it’s not a matter of if the market will swing, but when.
Looking at your investments every few months is plenty. It keeps you on track without letting daily market drama mess with your mindset. Stick to your investment strategy and stay focused on your financial goals.
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