Market Update – February 24

Forefront‘s Market Update

Good morning,

Just as I did, we are all waking up this morning to the news that Russia has invaded the Ukraine, which has caused a further sell off in equities. We are seeing a large drop in treasury yields, while oil prices spike.

Putting war and military invasions into context is difficult, and although I am always worried about our portfolios, today I have more fear for the people of Ukraine than I do for our portfolios moving forward.

Most importantly, I want to remind all investors not to overreact or let short term events cloud your vision in your long term plan.

If you are a client of Forefront Wealth Planning, make sure you remember that we are not just managing your money, we have created comprehensive financial plans with all of you based on your stage of life. We have set aside cash in emergency funds, and savings accounts.

All of our portfolios have some level of cash component, and for the older clients many of you have portions of your portfolios inside of individual bonds, with their own maturity dates.

I am full of data about how markets react during military conflicts, and how they react after corrections. We know the average time a correction lasts, and the average time for the market to recover. The amount of data we process while making decisions is immense, and helps myself, and our team of portfolio managers from allowing our emotions to play a roll in our decision making.

Today, I am not going to inundate you with data and numbers, because today we must all remember that this too shall pass, but for the lives, and livelihoods lost due to this conflict, this may not pass.

I am available all day for anyone who has questions about what is going on, and how it is impacting and matters in relation to your portfolios and financial plans. Do not hesitate to reach out to me at any time. As many of my clients have heard me say before, call me on a Sunday night at 10PM if you are concerned or worried, a conversation to help you sleep at night is one of the greatest values a financial planner and friend can bring to the table.

Sincerely,

Amit Chopra CFP®