Experts Advise Staying Calm During Stock Market Volatility

Avoid panic-selling and stick to long-term investment strategies, financial advisors say

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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When the stock market experiences significant declines, the natural instinct may be to sell investments out of fear. However, financial experts advise against making impulsive moves and instead recommend sticking to long-term investment strategies. Key tips include not trying to time the market, maintaining a balanced and diversified portfolio, and staying invested through market ups and downs.

Why it matters

Market volatility can be unsettling for investors, especially those saving for retirement or other long-term goals. By following proven investment principles, individuals can weather temporary downturns and position themselves to benefit when the market eventually recovers.

The details

Experts caution against trying to time the market by selling during downturns and buying back in at the bottom, as this strategy is extremely difficult to execute successfully. They recommend maintaining a balanced, diversified portfolio and sticking to a long-term investment plan. For investors concerned about volatility, options include purchasing broad index funds or exploring "minimum volatility" investment products that aim to provide more stability.

  • The S&P 500 and Dow Jones averages have experienced significant swings in March 2026 amid concerns over the Iran war, rising gas prices, and inflation.

The players

Peter Lazaroff

A certified financial planner in St. Louis.

Kristy Akullian

Head of iShares investment strategy, Americas, at BlackRock.

Patrick Means

Vice president and branch manager at a Schwab branch in Dallas.

James Martielli

Head of investment and trading services at Vanguard.

Randy Bruns

A certified financial planner in Naperville, Illinois.

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What they’re saying

“Any time you're trying to avoid a downturn, the risk of being wrong is pretty high. And you have to be correct twice.”

— Peter Lazaroff, certified financial planner (USA TODAY)

“So often, some of the absolute worst days in the market are in close proximity to some of the absolute best days in the market.”

— Kristy Akullian, head of iShares investment strategy, Americas, at BlackRock (USA TODAY)

“The benefit of staying invested is, you're going to be in the market on the days when there are the biggest gains.”

— Patrick Means, vice president and branch manager at a Schwab branch in Dallas (USA TODAY)

“You can't control the markets. You don't know what they're going to do. You can control yourself by not making emotional decisions.”

— James Martielli, head of investment and trading services at Vanguard (USA TODAY)

“If you have the luxury of being a long-term investor, be one.”

— Kristy Akullian, head of iShares investment strategy, Americas, at BlackRock (USA TODAY)

The takeaway

By staying disciplined and avoiding impulsive decisions, long-term investors can weather temporary market downturns and position themselves to benefit when the market eventually recovers. Following proven investment principles like diversification and minimizing costs is key to achieving long-term financial goals.