It doesn’t always take much to fuel a round of stock market volatility, but broad economic changes or concerns can easily cause a world of upheaval. In the wake of recent tariff policies, investors need to brace for stock market volatility in the near term.

You may be concerned that this bout of stock market turbulence will have a negative impact on your retirement. If so, ask yourself these questions so you can come up with a plan.

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1. How close am I to retirement?

If you’re on the cusp of retirement or already in it, a period of stock market upheaval can be pretty concerning. But if retirement is decades away, you’re a bit more off the hook, mentally speaking.

Say you’re 35 and have no plans to touch your retirement portfolio for another 30 years. It can still be unsettling to see your portfolio value decline. But if you’re not using that money for decades, there’s little need to worry about how the next few weeks or months will shake out.

However, if you’re at a point where you need to be tapping your portfolio for income, do your best to leave the stock portion alone in the near term. If you have cash savings, now may be the time to use them.

2. What’s my portfolio composition?

It’s important to have a diversified portfolio at any age. But if you’re in or near retirement, it’s especially crucial to maintain a varied mix of assets within your portfolio. It’s also important to make sure your portfolio is invested appropriately for your stage of life.

If you’re overly invested in stocks, you may be too exposed to market volatility. Talk to a financial advisor and see if they recommend changing your asset allocation.

On the other hand, you may be a retiree with 40% of your portfolio in stocks and the rest in more stable assets, like bonds. In that case, a bout of stock market volatility may not be cause for alarm since you might conceivably have plenty of assets you can tap in the near term with values that haven’t been impacted.

3. What income sources do I have outside of my portfolio?

If you’re retired, it may be a bad time to take withdrawals from your IRA or 401(k) plan. In that case, think about whether it’s possible to leave your portfolio untouched for a while to ride out this wave.

If you’re 62 or older, you may be getting a Social Security benefit every month. You might also have a pension, earnings from a part-time job, or another source of available income.

If you’re not yet retired and lose your job, ask yourself the same question before tapping your portfolio when it may be down. You may be able to do some gig work while you look for a new job or collect severance or unemployment benefits.

4. Is this a buying opportunity?

When stock values decline, your inclination may be to stay far away from the market. However, it’s important to recognize that volatile markets often present buying opportunities.

Take a look at your portfolio and see if there’s a particular segment of the market that’s excluded from it. Or see if any of the stocks on your wish list are on sale. You may be able to get in at a lower price point.

If you’re going to buy stocks during periods of market volatility, don’t plan on a quick cash-out. A better bet is to aim to hold those stocks for many years, since there’s the risk that their values could decline in the near term while the market remains unsettled.

It’s not an easy thing to get through a period of stock market mayhem. But with the right strategies, you can take steps to ensure that it doesn’t mess up your retirement plans in any way.

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