We are the most well-documented generation in human history.

I came across a staggering fact: “90% of data in existence today, was created in the last two years”.

To the chagrin of older generations, most of this data is being created by Millennials, Gen Y and Gen Z. But that’s a discussion for another time.

It’s crazy to consider how much data we have from today and how little exists from the prior thousands of years. So many lessons from history are confined to too few books.

In 1982, American Biologist E.O. Wilson wrote “We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom”. That’s truer than ever today:

Investors face more distractions than ever before

Past generations’ investors might turn to the Wall Street Journal, or PBS’ Wall Street Week (with Louis Rukeyser) on Friday night.

Today, 4 major TV channels are dedicated to markets movers, and “fin-fluencers” (financial influencers) are popping up on social media feeds left and right. Everyone has an opinion on what to do with your money, and it changes daily.

With this abundance of knowledge, we wanted to share some investing wisdom from our founder Brian Sweeney:

Block Out The Noise

Daily price fluctuations, political rabble, and “experts” opinions on the future (which is unknowable) should largely be ignored. We’ve seen pundits come and go but portfolio changes stick with you.

Develop a Plan and Stick To It!

We have 100 years of well-documented market history and build portfolios accordingly. We’ve seen a version of most events before. Markets might change but human behavior (fear/greed) doesn’t.

What You Buy Matters More Than When You Buy

Invest consistently even through difficult years (those are when you get the best prices!) No crisis has yet been permanent. Most investments during 2020 (Covid) and 2022 (Inflation) were scary at the time but are sparkling now.

Minimize Trading (and Regret)

Don’t overtrade your portfolio. Every study has shown more trading=less profits. It’s best to rebalance when your asset allocation drifts too far, or life is changing. Reactionary trading often leads to regret.

Swing For Singles and Doubles

Businesses with growing profits and high-quality bonds tend to be less volatile than the “next big thing”. The SPAC boom/bust in 2021 is recent evidence. Also- Consider the importance of income in your portfolio, it can help smooth out the market’s bumps.

Pay Attention to Costs

Wall Street is awash with overly complicated (and expensive!) investment products. Annuities, market-linked notes/CDs, private funds, and old-school mutual funds have a ton of hidden costs. Keep things simple and keep more of your money.

Hire an Experienced Trail Guide

Investing is emotional. You work hard for your money, and you want it to work hard for you. It’s hard enough to navigate account types, taxes, retirement, and estate planning while living your life. A financial partner can help you see the blind spots.

*https://explodingtopics.com/blog/data-generated-per-day