Don’t panic. Here’s how to keep your emotions out of your investment decisions

Don’t panic. Here’s how to keep your emotions out of your investment decisions

The ups and downs of the stock market may have you tempted to make changes to your portfolio. Yet time and again experts will tell you to never let emotions drive your investing decisions. This week, fear may be a factor for investors between Russia and Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday he would recognize the independence of two breakaway regions in Ukraine, and later ordered forces into both regions.  on Tuesday, following a week of losses by the major averages. However, the ups and downs of the stock market are a normal part of the investing journey, said financial advisor Mitch Goldberg, president of ClientFirst Strategy in Melville, New York. "It's what you do before a plunge that counts, not the hasty reactions that come during and after, when you have no time to think," he said. While market experts said they didn't see evidence of panic in the market, it's normal for people to feel panicked during heightened volatility, said financial psychologist Dr. Brad Klontz, associate professor of practice in financial psychology and behavioral finance at Creighton University Heider College of Business. It's the way the human brain is programmed, with our emotional brains bigger and