“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” ― Charles Dickens The above quote is the first sentence of the Charles Dickens masterpiece: A Tale of Two Cities. There may not be a better quote to describe the volatility of the stock market and the emotional toll on investors. We know from studies of investor behavior that many tend to buy stocks during the spring of hope, and sell during the winter of despair. They buy high and sell low which results in poor long term returns. This is a natural, emotional response. When markets go down, the fight or flight part...
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