Timing VS Trust

The start of any new year invites fresh thinking, but not rushed decisions.

Ask Acacia

Q: "I'm worried about a stock-market bubble. Should I sell everything to cash?"

A: If you won't need the money for the next 5+ years, selling everything (or drastically de-risking) just because it "feels like a bubble" is almost never the optimal move. Markets can stay high or climb higher for years, and the average timer underperforms badly.

What to Do Instead

• Confirm your cash buffer. Make sure your next 2–3 years of spending is already in cash or short-term bonds. This gives you breathing room without needing to sell at the wrong time.
• Rebalance back to your target allocation. Don't abandon your plan. If markets have shifted your allocation, bring it back in line with your agreed strategy rather than making wholesale changes.
• Make one calm, pre-planned adjustment if needed. If anxiety is still high, a single measured adjustment is far better than a panic sell. The key word is pre-planned — not reactive.

History shows the biggest regret is being in cash when the market keeps rising, not riding through the eventual dip you're built to handle.

You've got a financial plan for a reason — trust it. Need a quick second opinion on your allocation? Get in touch.

Picture This

If you missed just the 10 best days in the stock market between 2002 and 2022, your portfolio would be worth about half of what it could have been by simply staying invested.

If you'd invested £10,000 in the S&P 500 in 2002 and stayed put, you'd have over £64,800 today. Miss just the 10 best days and you end up with £29,708 — less than half. Those big up days usually follow the toughest sell-offs, which is why trying to dodge volatility often backfires. Staying invested is the real edge.

"Good financial decisions come from clarity, not pressure — and you're in control of both!"