Why is My IRA Losing Money?
As painful as it can be to open up your quarterly statement and see that your IRA has lost money, there are steps you can take to address this problem.
Investing is always risky and there’s no guarantee your IRA will increase in value over time. But there could be several reasons your IRA could be losing money.
1. You’re investing too aggressively
As shocking as it may be to open your quarterly statements and see the value of your IRA decrease, it’s also important to remember that investments may fluctuate from time to time and that’s perfectly normal.
One of the main causes of an IRA going downhill is investing too aggressively, exposing yourself to too many risks. To limit risk and preserve value in your IRA, diversify your portfolio over time while staying away from short-term stock trading gimmicks; studies show long-term investors typically see returns of around 10% per year from stock markets over time.
Are You Willing to be More Aggressive with Your Investment Strategy? That decision depends on multiple factors, including your savings ability, how far away from retirement it is and your risk tolerance. Understanding these aspects before changing any aspects of your strategy is paramount; selling off IRA investments when the market dips could result in permanent losses that leave less money for retirement savings.
2. You’re investing too late
IRAs offer investors a diverse array of investment opportunities. However, it’s essential to remember that investments within an IRA can potentially lose money; to protect yourself against this possibility, diversify your portfolio with appropriate assets.
Be wary of any fees associated with your IRA. These could include custodial and trading fees as well as potential investment costs that may reduce overall returns.
Finally, it’s essential to remember that IRA accounts are designed for retirement; therefore, their balances will fluctuate over the course of your career. Although seeing your IRA value decrease can be disconcerting, remaining calm and staying focused on long-term goals should help minimize losses during market downturns. By following these tips you can ensure your IRA account remains on course towards meeting retirement.
3. You’re withdrawing too early
An Individual Retirement Account, or IRA, can help you save for retirement by providing you with an investment vehicle to save for the future. Unfortunately, however, markets can be unpredictable and your IRA investments could experience value losses from time to time.
Remember that over time, stocks offer strong returns that enable you to build wealth. Over the past 50 years, stocks have averaged an annual return of 10%–including both good and bad periods of performance.
Attempting to withdraw your IRA savings too early could incur taxes and penalties. Any withdrawal before age 59 1/2 must be included as income and subject to a 10 percent penalty; there may be exceptions such as in the event of death of an IRA owner or paying health insurance premiums while unemployed.
Though it’s understandable to feel disconcerted when your IRA balance declines, it’s crucial that you invest responsibly according to your long-term goals and risk tolerance. Early withdrawals could harm investment growth and lower future security in retirement.
4. You’re investing in the wrong asset classes
An Individual Retirement Account, or IRA, is a retirement savings plan designed to hold securities such as stocks, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). As these assets gain or lose value over time, so will your IRA balance.
Under poor economic circumstances, your IRA could experience value losses; but with economic cycles being cyclical in nature and provided that you are still several years from retirement age, its lost value will likely return once the economy picks back up again.
One way to reduce the risk of losing money in your IRA is through diversification of your portfolio and target-date funds, which are designed to rebalance as you near retirement and help lessen market volatility. Finally, remember that investing is a long-term endeavor and avoid making hasty decisions during bad economic periods; seek professional guidance in devising an investment plan tailored specifically for you and your goals and situation.
Categorised in: Blog