Episode Details

Given many people are worried about the unknown consequences of the Coronavirus, I thought it was timely for me to share my thoughts and advice. Like in all ‘crises’, it is important to not let emotion or fear drive your responses. ‘A steady hand on the tiller’ is the best approach when navigating any storm.

I acknowledge that the Coronavirus may have caused significant emotional and heath distress to people around the world. I fully empathise and understand this situation and do not seek to downplay its impact. But it is important for me to stipulate that my comments below are only about the financial impacts and considerations, not any health concerns.

We’ve heard it all before! Don’t get sucked in.

Financial markets are closed.

All banks are going bust.

The way we conduct global business has changed forever and will never be the same again.

Property markets will take decades to recover.

I heard all of the above statements during 2008 and 2009 when I was glued to the TV late at night throughout the GFC. They are all alarmist predictions and have all been proven to be wrong.

The human race (and economy) is incredibly resilient and innovative. We have faced many challenges and prevailed. This will be no different. In respect to the financial impact on the vast majority of people in the long run, just like with the GFC, I suspect it won’t be that significant.

Once the coronavirus risk passes, I’m sure Australian’s will start spending again to get the economy back to its normal level. I anticipate that our spending decisions will be directed towards the most effected industries such as hospitality and tourism, with the same community mindedness that was evident during the recent bushfires.

Our lives are filled with predictions and usually most extreme ones get the most airtime. Try not to get sucked in. The best approach is to carefully avoid the mainstream media. Worrying has never made any problem better.

Short term thinking creates anxiety

When it comes to money and investing, short term thinking has always created anxiety. This is even more true when markets are volatile. Short term thinking does not serve you well. It promotes you to either be too greedy (when markets are high) or too fearful (when markets are low).

Instead, a far superior and more comfortable approach is to play the long game. Consider what actions you can take today so that you will be better off in 5, 10 and 15 years. That puts things in perspective and helps you avoid many of the common financial mistakes that people make. And realise that sometimes the most intelligent thing to do is nothing.

The impact of coronavirus on the economy and share markets is temporary, not permanent. Whether it takes 6 months, 1 year or up to 2 years to recover, only time will tell. However, history tells us that its impact will not impact on investment returns over the long run. Your decisions and actions will.

Supermarkets are a perfect reflection of share market

A walk down the aisle of your local supermarket is a sobering indication of the level of hysteria impacting the Australian and international share markets. As I write this blog, the Australian market has fallen 27% since 21 February 2020 and international and US markets have fallen by circa 20%.

But that doesn’t really tell the full story because it’s the level of volatility that has been causing the most newspaper headlines. The Australian volatility index (A-VIX) has ranged between 10% and 20% over the past decade. This week it has peaked at 55%, which is similar levels to the GF