What's Happening
7 minutes ago

Why Is Apple Still Behind On AI? Expert Dissects Reasons Behind iPhone Maker Lagging Likes Of Microsoft And Amazon Despite Poaching Google's AI Chief

benzingabenzinga.com
37 minutes ago

Bitcoin Breaks $107,000, Ethereum Dips, Dogecoin Rallies As 'Greed' Sentiment Takes Over: Analyst Predicts BTC 'Primed' For A New All-Time High

benzingabenzinga.com
51 minutes ago

Chuck Schumer Raises Concerns Over Trump And DOGE Impact On US Coast Guard After Mexican Ship Collides With Brooklyn Bridge: 'We Know They've Been Med...

benzingabenzinga.com
2 hours ago

The US Could Lose $12.5 Billion In Travel Revenue In 2025 Due To Political Uncertainties

benzingabenzinga.com
2 hours ago

Joe Biden Diagnosed With Advanced Prostate Cancer, Trump Wishes Former President A 'Fast And Successful Recovery'

benzingabenzinga.com
3 hours ago

Someone Asks, Why Do People Still Equate Luxury Cars With Being Rich When 'It's Common Knowledge Anyone Can Finance Or Lease A Luxury Car'

benzingabenzinga.com
3 hours ago

3 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks That Could Soar in the Second Half of 2025

foolfool.com
4 hours ago

'My Coworkers Think I'm DOGE'—A Federal Worker Says, 'I Receive Mean Looks And Conversations Are Straight-Up Dying When I Walk By'

benzingabenzinga.com
4 hours ago

Mom Asks Suze Orman: 'Did We Create A Monster?' 23-Year-Old Daughter Has $250K Saved But Refuses To Pay For Dates Or Family Outings

benzingabenzinga.com
4 hours ago

Down 12% This Year, Should You Buy Alphabet Stock?

foolfool.com
4 hours ago

The 2 Best Stocks to Invest $1,000 in Right Now

foolfool.com
4 hours ago

Where Will D-Wave Quantum Stock Be in 1 Year?

foolfool.com
4 hours ago

Bull Case "Back on the Table" for Apple, Microsoft, and Palantir Following Trade Truce, Says Dan Ives

foolfool.com
6 hours ago

'The One, Big, Beautiful Bill' Would Create 'MAGA' Savings Accounts—With A $1,000 Gift From The Government At Birth

benzingabenzinga.com
6 hours ago

'The One, Big, Beautiful Bill' Would Create 'MAGA' Savings Accounts—With A $1,000 Gift From The Government At Birth

benzingabenzinga.com
6 hours ago

CoreWeave, Super Micro Computer And Coinbase Are Among Top 11 Large-Cap Gainers Last Week (May 12-May 16): Are The Others In Your Portfolio?

benzingabenzinga.com
6 hours ago

Meta Pleads With Judge To Dismiss FTC's Antitrust Case in High-Stakes Trial

benzingabenzinga.com
7 hours ago

Bitcoin Skyrockets Past $105,000 Mark, Triggers $250 Billion Crypto Market Rally

benzingabenzinga.com
7 hours ago

JPMorgan Chase: US Economy Likely To Skirt Recession, Forecasts Sluggish Growth

benzingabenzinga.com
7 hours ago

Elon Musk's PAC Promised $100 Per Signature—Now It's Facing a Lawsuit

benzingabenzinga.com

Worried That Market Fluctuations Following President Trump’s Tariffs Will Affect Your Retirement Savings? 3 Things to Do Now

President Donald Trump’s tariffs have been a major feature of his second term so far — and a major cause of concern for many Americans. Whether you’re still working, nearing retirement, or already there, you’ve probably worked hard to save what you can for retirement. Fears that the new tariffs could hurt your investments can leave you scrambling to minimize the damage.

While we have no way of predicting exactly what will come next, you can take a few steps to help yourself better weather potential dips in your portfolio’s value. Start with the following three actions.

Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More »

A person looks at a laptop with a concerned look on their face.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Make sure your savings are adequately diversified

Diversification won’t eliminate your risk of loss, but it can help reduce risk. If you have a portfolio that consists of five stocks and one of them drops by 50%, that’s a much more serious issue than a portfolio with 100 stocks where one drops by 50%.

Diversification means investing in at least 25 companies. It’s also important to invest in different industries. Choosing 25 stocks in the tech sector may not provide you with the diversification you want if a tariff or new regulation hurts the entire industry. Some people also like to include things like gold in their portfolios because its value often moves in the opposite direction of stocks.

If you’re uncomfortable picking stocks, you can invest in an index fund instead. These are bundles of stocks you purchase as a package. They offer instant diversification, and they often have low fees, too.

2. Keep some cash on hand if you’re in or near retirement

Watching your retirement accounts lose money is tough at any age. But it’s not as big of a concern for young adults because they usually have plenty of time to recover before they need to use those funds. That’s not the case for older adults, so it’s more important for them to keep some of their savings in cash.

This gives you a little more flexibility in when you withdraw money from your retirement accounts. You won’t be forced to sell investments when they’re way down because you’ll already have some money on hand. You can wait a little longer until your savings hopefully rebound before you sell.

Ideally, you want to keep one to two years of living expenses in cash. You can keep this money in a high-yield savings account if you’d like so you can still earn some interest on it.

3. Stay the course

When you see your investment portfolio losing money, it can be tempting to sell quickly or stop investing new funds in the hope of avoiding further losses. But this fails to take into account that most stocks will likely rebound eventually. If you sell during the dip, you’re locking in that loss. If you hold onto your investments, they might dip in value for a little while, but they could later command a much higher price than what you paid for them.

Investing while stocks are down could work to your advantage over the long run. You may be able to purchase more shares when prices are lower than you could when prices are higher. This could give you more money in the future.

Sometimes, it’s important to limit how often you check your portfolio so you aren’t tempted to make sudden changes. Consider checking your portfolio every few months at the most, rather than getting worked up over daily fluctuations.

If you experience a major change, like a new job or the loss of a spouse, that might be a good time to revisit your investments and possibly make some major changes. But otherwise, trust that you’ve taken the key steps to help your savings last as long as possible.

The $22,924 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook

If you’re like most Americans, you’re a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known “Social Security secrets” could help ensure a boost in your retirement income.

One easy trick could pay you as much as $22,924 more… each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we’re all after. Join Stock Advisor to learn more about these strategies.

View the “Social Security secrets” »

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Related Posts

You decided long ago that 2025 was going to be the year you retired. Now it’s here, and you’re wondering whether that’s still the best

I almost fainted when I saw the cost of a business class ticket to Australia. Looking for a secure place to grow your savings? See

Becoming a homeowner was, without question, one of the most exciting financial milestones of my life. But I’m no mortgage expert, and there were definitely

My buddy once bought a $4,000 engagement ring on a credit card. Romantic? Yes! Responsible?? Not so much — especially when you’re paying an APR