Why Your Brain Sabotages Your Investment Plan (No Matter What the Market Does)

James Lee | Aug 12, 2025

Your Emotional Brain Doesn't Understand Math

When markets hit extremes (high or low) your brain's alarm system (the amygdala) takes over before your rational mind can catch up.¹

At market highs: Fear of loss dominates. "What goes up must come down" feels like physics, not psychology.

At market lows: Fear of MORE loss dominates. "This could go to zero" feels inevitable, not improbable.

In both cases, your brain is running the same protective program: avoid pain at all costs.

This kept your ancestors alive when quick decisions meant survival.

But investing isn't about split-second reactions. It's about patient, deliberate decisions that compound over decades.

Your emotional brain doesn't do decades. It does “right now”.

The Mental Traps That Work Both Ways

Whether markets are soaring or crashing, the same cognitive biases can trip us up:

Recency Effect: Whatever happened recently feels most likely to continue.²
Anchoring Bias: A stock at $100 feels expensive if you remember it at $75, but cheap if you remember it at $125—regardless of its actual value.²
Loss Aversion: Losses feel about twice as painful as equivalent gains feel good.²
Confirmation Bias: When you're scared, you seek information that validates your fear.²

These aren't character flaws. They're universal human wiring that even professional investors battle.²

The 2008 Scar

If you're in your 50s or 60s, there's another layer to this.

You lived through 2008. You may have watched retirement dreams evaporate. Maybe you delayed your own retirement by a few years. That memory doesn't fade. It shapes every market reaction.

At market highs: "Remember what happened last time things looked this good?"

At market lows: "Here we go again. I can't survive another crash this close to retirement."

Both reactions are your brain trying to protect you from repeating past pain.

But here’s what that trauma misses: even investors who bought at the 2007 peak had fully recovered by 2013.³ Those who stayed invested during the crisis came out ahead.³

Your emotional memory of 2008 is real. But it might be distorting your perception of both current risks and opportunities.

What the Data Shows

Trying to sidestep market downturns might feel like a prudent defensive move, but long-term data suggests it is often more effective to stay consistently invested.

Morningstar analyzed two approaches: one that invested steadily over time, and another that attempted to hold cash when the market appeared overvalued. Over a 21-year period, the steady investment strategy delivered stronger overall results.⁴

Why? Because markets do not reward perfect timing. Gains and recoveries often occur when conditions still feel uncertain, which means waiting for the "right" moment can lead to missed opportunities.

While no approach eliminates risk, maintaining consistent exposure has historically helped investors capture more of the market's long-term growth potential without relying on short-term predictions.

The Risk Many People Ignore

While you're wrestling with whether markets are "too high" or "too dangerous," there's a threat quietly chipping away at long-term wealth: inflation.

That “safe” money earning 2% in savings is losing purchasing power every year inflation runs ~3%.⁵ Over the years, that's a significant portion of buying power—gone.

Maybe the market drops 20% next year. No one knows. But one thing is certain: if your money isn’t growing faster than inflation, then you’re losing some ground.

Which risk feels more manageable: temporary market volatility or ongoing purchasing power erosion?

What Strategy Looks Like

Investment strategy isn't about predicting market direction. It's about building a plan that works regardless of what markets do. That means:

Having a clear timeline: If you're not retiring for 5+ years, temporary drops matter less. If you are, keep 1–2 years of expenses in more conservative assets.⁶
Defining your risk tolerance honestly: Not based on how you feel in the moment, but on what you can actually live with.
Automating consistent behavior: Keep investing regularly and rebalance to maintain discipline.
Aligning with your values: Know why you're investing so short-term noise doesn’t derail your purpose.

Questions That Cut Through the Noise

When fear takes over—whether from highs or lows—ask yourself:

What's actually changed about my long-term plan?
Am I reacting to prices or fundamentals?
How will I feel in five years if I let emotions drive this decision?

Building Your Emotional Firewall

Deliberate investing isn’t about eliminating fear. It’s about making decisions despite fear when evidence and long-term planning supports staying the course.

That requires an “emotional firewall”—systems and principles that work when your feelings don’t:

A written investment policy created during calm moments
Automatic contributions regardless of headlines
Regular rebalancing
A trusted advisor to provide perspective
A clear “why” for your investment journey

Your brain will always find reasons to fear whatever the market is doing. Too high means bubble. Too low means disaster. Steady means "calm before the storm."

But markets aren’t trying to hurt you. They’re driven by millions of decisions, economic cycles, and long-term trends.

Our brains see threats everywhere. Your wealth-building brain needs to see opportunity—in both fear and greed.

It’s important to be patient when others aren’t, disciplined when others can’t be, and committed to your plan when the noise gets loud.

If you find yourself cycling through the same fears every time markets move, it might be worth having a conversation with a financial advisor who understands both the math and the psychology of investing.

Sometimes the most valuable thing isn't a new plan. It's someone who can help you stick with the one you already have.

Sources:

Research and Reviews International Journals, 2024 [URL: https://www.rroij.com/open-access/the-neuroscience-behind-decisionmaking-and-risktaking-behaviour.php?aid=94862]
The Decision Lab, 2025 [URL: https://thedecisionlab.com/biases]
Morningstar, 2025 [URL: https://www.morningstar.com/economy/what-weve-learned-150-years-stock-market-crashes]
Morningstar, 2023 [URL: https://www.morningstar.com/portfolios/staying-invested-beats-timing-marketheres-proof]
YCharts, 2025 [URL: https://ycharts.com/indicators/us_inflation_rate]
Kiplinger, 2025 [URL: https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/sequence-of-return-risk-how-retirees-can-protect-themselves]

This content is developed from sources believed to be providing accurate information. The information provided is not written or intended as tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for purposes of avoiding any Federal tax penalties. Individuals are encouraged to seek advice from their own tax or legal counsel. Individuals involved in the estate planning process should work with an estate planning team, including their own personal legal or tax counsel. Neither the information presented nor any opinion expressed constitutes a representation by us of a specific investment or the purchase or sale of any securities. Asset allocation and diversification do not ensure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets. This material was developed and produced by Advisor Websites to provide information on a topic that may be of interest. Copyright 2025 Advisor Websites.

Why Your Brain Sabotages Your Investment Plan (No Matter What the Market Does)