Like a Fish Out of Water
In the water, a fish is graceful, beautiful and in control. But when you land a fish into a boat, it flops around on the bottom of the boat, not knowing what to do next. When it comes to investing during this COVID-19 pandemic, we are all fish out of water.
As investors, we have never seen anything like this. The factors that have caused the Dow to have its worst first quarter in history are not financial in nature. Rather, this market volatility is caused by a worldwide health crisis and the effects of that crisis, from social distancing to unemployment to an overall sense of fear and stress. Yes, it is costing many people growth in their portfolios. But by the time it ends, experts believe, it could cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans, and likely millions of people worldwide. We have never seen anything like this in the markets. But that doesn't mean we are helpless before it.
