Founding Principal & Managing Director, Craig Robson

What does taking a loss mean to you? No one likes it, but sometimes a loss is easier to handle than others. In some situations you know that a loss is just part of being in the game.

I’ve had several recent conversations where I’ve noticed an uptick in loss aversion. They would rather avoid losses, over achieving equivalent gains. My advice to these individuals is to create a well-designed financial plan that is complimented by a diversified portfolio and includes consistent monitoring and updating of both. We all will experience some losses over time when choosing to invest, but in my professional view, that should not prevent you from investing. If you focus too heavily on the potential losses, compared with potential gains, then you might miss the forest from the trees.

As of March 15, 2021 the S&P 500 was up nearly 6% YTD.1 In the 16 prior years that the S&P 500 has been up 5-10% YTD through March 15, the index has continued to experience positive gains in 15 of those times, for an average gain of 14.8%.2 While there will be unexpected events and news stories throughout the year which will cause the capital markets to ebb and flow, history seems to show, there is a strong likelihood the equity markets will continue to trend higher.

Another positive we are seeing in our industry, is an increase in women in C-Suite positions. Recently, Jane Fraser was announced as the newest CEO of Citigroup, becoming the first woman to lead a major U.S. money center bank.3 While women are in the minority when it comes to these leadership roles, I’m glad to see our industry continues to push forward.

It’s Women’s History Month, and I would like to acknowledge the women who have directly impacted my life and whose leadership drives success: my mother Carol, my wife Angelia, my sisters Debbie and Beth and my team members, Emily, Carmen, and Amey. Thank you for being amazing role models for all of us to emulate!

In closing, I would like to share a quote from Mother Theresa, “Do not wait for leaders, do it alone, person to person.”

• Craig Robson
• Founding Principal and Managing Director