Investing is not about “playing the market” or “getting rich.” It is crucial to attaining financial well-being. This is being able to provide for your needs and the needs of those who rely on you, as well as being able to create and accomplish objectives that extend beyond simply managing debts such as school loans, credit cards, and mortgages and being able to pay your bills.

Even when the financial markets appear unfriendly, you may improve your investment success and attain financial wellness by following these six actions.

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1. Make a plan first.

At Fidelity, we think that the basis for successful investing can be found in developing a financial plan. You may assess your current circumstances, establish your objectives, and choose realistic ways to reach them with the aid of the financial planning process.

It is not necessary for financial planning to be elaborate or costly. A financial expert or an online tool like those in Fidelity’s Planning & Guidance Center can assist you with this. In any case, a crucial first step is creating a strategy based on good financial planning concepts.

One service that financial advisors usually provide to their customers is a plan.

2. Even when markets appear unfavorable, stick to your plan.

It’s normal to desire to flee when the value of your assets declines. The best investors, however, don’t. Rather, they have a portfolio of stocks that they can rely on in both booming and struggling markets.

During the financial crisis in late 2008 and early 2009, it may have appeared prudent to seek refuge in cash. However, individuals who remained involved in the stock market throughout that period fared much better than those who left it, according to a Fidelity survey of 1.5 million workplace saves.

Those who continued to invest saw their account balances, which represented the effects of their contributions and investment decisions, increase 147% in the ten years after the crisis. For investors who fled equities in the fourth quarter of 2008 or the first quarter of 2009, that is double the average return of 74%. The majority of investors made no adjustments during the market decline, but those who did made a crucial choice that would have an ongoing effect. Over 25% of people who sold out of equities never returned to the market and lost out on the subsequent gains.

If you experience anxiety when the stock market declines, keep in mind that this is a typical reaction to volatility. Maintaining your long-term investment mix and having sufficient growth potential are crucial for reaching your objectives. Think about sticking with a less volatile mix of assets if you can’t handle the fluctuations in your portfolio.

3. Save instead than spend.

Even while it’s simple to be sucked into market fluctuations, it’s crucial to consider how much of your money you are saving for the future. When it comes to moving closer to long-term financial objectives, saving frequently and early can have a significant impact.

Generally speaking, Fidelity advises saving at least 15% of your income—including any employer match—for retirement. Naturally, that figure is only a starting point; it will be larger for some people and lower for others. Nevertheless, there is proof that starting sooner and conserving more money aids in achieving long-term objectives. Fidelity polls thousands of Americans who have already begun retirement savings every two years. The findings are computed to provide the nation with a score that illustrates the general level of retirement readiness among Americans. America’s retirement score dropped from 83 in 2020 to 78.3 in 2023. This indicates that the median retirement saver is on course to pay for 78% of their retirement needs.

According to Fidelity’s 2023 Retirement Savings Assessment poll, the median savings rate across all income levels and ages was 10%.

The national average might rise 10 points to 88, which would be firmly in the green, if America’s savings rate were raised to 15%.

Conversely, a person saving less than 10% had a median score of 68. The differences were most noticeable for younger savers who had more time to save during their careers, although dedicated savers of all ages had better median scores.

4. Make a variety of

According to Fidelity, diversification—the possession of a range of stocks, bonds, and other assets—is a fundamental component of successful investment and may aid in risk management.

Maintaining your strategy during market fluctuations may be made easier if you have a suitable investment mix that gives you a portfolio that offers growth potential at a risk level that makes sense for your circumstances.

Diversification aims to offer a fair trade-off between risk and reward, but it cannot ensure profits or that you won’t lose money. It is possible to diversify both inside and across stocks, bonds, and cash. Think about spreading your stock exposure across several industries, geographical areas, investing types (growth, blend, and value), and stock sizes (small, mid, and large-cap stocks). When it comes to bonds, think about spreading your investments among a variety of issuers, maturities, and credit grades.

Investors with an asset mix that is on track appear to be better prepared for retirement, according to Fidelity’s Retirement Savings Assessment. According to Fidelity’s 2023 poll, people’s retirement preparation may be improved by substituting age-appropriate allocation for portfolios that seem either too conservative or too aggressive.

5. Take into account affordable investing options that provide high value.

Astute investors understand that while they cannot control the market, they can control expenses. According to a study by independent research firm Morningstar, funds with lower cost ratios have historically had a greater chance of outperforming other funds in their category—in terms of prospective risk-adjusted return ratings and relative total return—though this is by no means a guarantee.

6. Remember to pay taxes.

Keeping an eye on account kinds and taxes is another practice that might help investors thrive.

Higher after-tax returns may be produced by accounts that provide tax advantages, such as 401(k)s, IRAs, and certain annuities. Investors refer to this as “account location”; the amount of money you invest in various account types should be determined by the tax treatment of each account. A similar idea is “asset location”—the process of allocating various investment kinds to different account kinds according to the tax treatment of the account type and the investment’s tax efficiency.

You should never base your investing decisions only on taxes, but you might want to think about transferring your least tax-efficient assets—such taxable bonds with interest payments subject to comparatively high regular income tax rates—to tax-deferred accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs. In contrast, taxable accounts are often better suited for more tax-efficient investments (such as municipal bonds, whose interest is normally exempt from federal income tax, and low-turnover funds, such as index funds or many ETFs).