Kiplinger

Advice for Investors Worried About Today's Tumultuous Stock Markets

As the stock markets gyrate, financial professionals have been busy folks the past few days, calming clients' nerves with their advice on how to handle the recent bumps in the record run-up and the head-snapping volatility we've been seeing.

We asked credentialed financial advisers and attorneys, whose columns appear on our Wealth Creation Channel, to share what they're telling their clients ... about what's going on, why and what they should be doing about it. Here's what 20 of them had to say.

Taylor Schulte: This is Completely Normal, and If You Own Bonds, You Made Money

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The Dow dropped 4.6% on Monday, or 1,175 points. It was the worst point decline in history. As a percentage, however, we have had 107 days worse than this one.

A "market correction" -- defined by a drop of 10% or more -- seems like a not-too-distant possibility. On average, this happens once a year.

In other words, events like this are completely normal.

Side note: If you own U.S. government bonds, you made money on Monday. On the worst point decline in STOCK MARKET HISTORY, you made money.

Instead of trying to pinpoint the exact reason for the recent volatility, I want to ask you a question:

If your investment portfolio dropped in value by 30%, what would you do?

Scratch that. Let me ask you a different question first:

If the value of your home dropped in value by 30%, what would you do?

My guess is that you wouldn't race out to hire a Realtor and put your home up for sale.

That's because you have a long-term plan in place for your home, you accepted the risks of owning real estate going in, and owning a home has an important place in your family's financial plan. You also probably don't want to realize a 30% loss on one of your largest assets.

So, back to my first question: if your investment portfolio dropped in value by 30%, what would you do?

If you think you would feel inclined to run out and put your portfolio up for sale, you probably aren't invested properly.

There is no better time than now to confirm you have a long-term plan in place for

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