When the Market Moves Fast, Slow Down

On the heels of tariff announcements and growing trade tensions, we’re seeing intense swings and panic-inducing headlines. Just look at the performance graph of my personal Stash account I posted in our company slack.

But here’s what I know from 25 years in the market: moments like this aren’t new. I’ve lived through the dot-com crash, the Great Recession, the COVID market meltdown, the last round of Trump tariffs, and plenty more. Every time, it felt uncertain.

Every time, it felt uncertain. And every time, the market eventually found its footing.

In fact, just yesterday the market soared—one of the biggest one-day gains we’ve seen in years. It’s a reminder that trying to time market moves is impossible. But staying consistent? That works.

This week, I spoke with a Stash user who asked, “What should I do when everything feels unpredictable?”

Here are three pieces of guidance I’m giving our users right now, based on every market cycle I’ve experienced:

1. Don’t confuse market moments with long-term trends What feels like a major shift today may look like just a blip in 5 or 10 years. Successful investors don’t overreact or underreact to headlines or short-term volatility — they stick to their plan AND make modest adjustments as needed. Remember that markets have weathered tariffs, trade wars, and policy shifts many times before. Those who panic-sold during previous periods of volatility often ended up missing the gains associated with subsequent recoveries.

2. Don’t make emotional decisions When the market drops, your first instinct might be to do something—sell, move to cash, or stop investing. That emotional reaction is completely natural, but it’s often the wrong move. The best investors I know resist that urge. They view market dips as opportunities to invest at lower prices. Regular, consistent investing during volatile periods has historically been a powerful way to build wealth over the long term. This approach requires patience, but it also removes the impossible challenge of trying to time the bottom perfectly which no one can really do.

3. Focus on consistency, not prediction No one can reliably predict how the market is going to respond to tariffs in the coming days or weeks. Instead of trying to time markets perfectly, focus on what you can control: maintaining regular investments, staying diversified, and keeping your emotions in check.

So… should you be investing right now?

If you have the cash: yes. But do it strategically and leverage Auto-Stash. Here are a few ways Stash users are navigating this moment:

• Smart Portfolio: Expertly managed, diversified, and automatically adjusted. Great for staying long-term focused.
• IVV (S&P 500 ETF): Simple way to get broad U.S. market exposure.
• VT (Global Stock ETF): Add exposure to global economies, not just the U.S.
• TFLO (Floating Rate Treasury ETF): For short-term savers who want income and low risk, TFLO is paying ~4%+ right now.

The bottom line? Don’t let short-term fear (or hype) dictate your long-term decisions.

The market will move. What matters most is that you keep moving forward.