Markets will decline from time to time and such declines are to be expected;
What will trigger a decline will be almost impossible to predict (subprime mortgages are the culprit this time);
It is virtually impossible to predict when the markets will fall or when they will recover;
They will recover;
The media will make it sound worse than it really is;
Many self-proclaimed pundits will insist, "It's different this time and the old rules will no longer apply." (They have been saying this for decades and have been wrong every time);
While the cause may be different, the results have always been the same - the "old rules" do apply and the market does recover; and
Following a disciplined and diversified investment strategy will yield rewarding results over the long run.
George Bernard Shaw said, "The problem with communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished." It is not enough to tell the clients who call you to "stay the course." And for the many who don't call, the assumption cannot be that they are not concerned. Effective communication during these times may be the key to keeping happy clients.
Roy Diliberto is chairman and founder of RTD Financial Advisors Inc. in Philadelphia.