The Dow crosses 45,000. Your brain whispers: "This has to be the top." The market drops 15%. Your brain screams: "Get out before it gets worse!" Different scenarios. Same result: your brain hijacking your long-term investment strategy. If you've ever felt paralyzed by market highs or panicked during market lows, you're not an outlier. You're human. The brain’s wiring is great for responding to immediate danger, like avoiding a snake. But that same instinct can...

Over the course of your investing life, you’ll encounter market lows and highs. Headlines often spotlight the extremes, especially when markets reach record levels. Take, for example: “Stocks Hit Record Highs. What’s Behind the Rally.” 1 All-time highs have an interesting effect on investor behavior and psychology. Many investors can feel a nagging voice that whispers "wait for a better entry point" when markets are climbing. It's human nature to want to buy low and...

In a perfect world, every money decision we make would be totally rational. We’d consider all of the facts. Then, we’d balance them with the risks to make the most logical choice available. 1 That sounds simple. Yet it doesn’t happen as much as it should in the real world. 1, 2 That’s because many of us aren’t relying on logic and the facts to make financial decisions—and we probably don’t even realize it. 2...