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How to Stay Grounded During Market Chaos

Nick Murphy, CFP®

When markets feel chaotic, it’s easy to start panicking. Headlines scream. Social media spirals. And suddenly, the financial plan you believed in yesterday starts to feel shaky.

Here’s the truth: market chaos isn’t just noise — it’s a crossroads.

The decisions you make right now won’t just impact today — they may shape your financial story for the next decade.

This past weekend, I spent time reflecting on how we can better guide our clients through the volatility we’ve seen in recent days. What emerged were five key questions I invite you to ask yourself before making any emotional decisions.

1. When you look back on this season years from now, will you be proud of how you responded, or wish you’d paused before reacting?

Perspective has a funny way of softening today’s stress. It's often not the market dip we regret — it's the impulsive choices we made in response.

Instead of asking, “What should I do right now?” ask, “What story will I want to tell later?”

2. If you believe in your long-term goals during calm markets, what does it say if you abandon them during uncertain ones?

Conviction is easy when everything’s going smoothly. Real conviction is tested in the hard moments.

Holding your ground during volatility isn’t just about patience — it’s about honoring the plan you created when you were clear-headed and future-focused.

3. If every period of market turmoil in history eventually gave way to recovery, what makes this time different?

Fear always says, “This time is worse,” but history tends to say otherwise. Long-term investors who stayed the course through downturns have often emerged stronger on the other side.

4. Who deserves your trust right now — the advisor who’s walked beside you for years, who knows your values, your vision, and your family by name… or a headline designed to stir panic?

In moments like these, wisdom rarely comes from the loudest voice in the room. It comes from the people who know you, who understand your goals, and who are walking this journey with you.

5. What story do you want your financial decisions to tell — one of fear, or of faith in a disciplined process?

The legacy of your wealth won’t be shaped by perfect timing — it will be shaped by the way you navigated imperfect moments. Reaction writes a short story. Resolve writes a lasting one.

This isn’t just a market moment — it may be a defining moment.

For many of you, retirement isn’t a distant goal. It’s here, or it’s right around the corner.

And suddenly, the questions are bigger. Louder. More urgent.

Not everyone will stay grounded. Not everyone will hold the line. But those who do — those who choose clarity over chaos, purpose over panic — will look back on these moments with pride, not regret.

So, friends, now’s the time to decide which story you want to tell. And perhaps more importantly — who you want guiding you through it.

Counterweight Private Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with its principal offices in Raleigh, NC and Wilmington, NC. Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any specific level of skill or training and does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the Commission. Counterweight Private Wealth only transacts business in states in which it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration. A copy of Counterweight Private Wealth’s current written disclosure brochure filed with the SEC which discusses among other things, its business practices, services, and fees, is available through the SEC’s website at: www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.

Please note, the information provided in this document is for informational purposes only and investors should determine for themselves whether a particular service or product is suitable for their investment needs. Please refer to the disclosure and offering documents for further information concerning specific products or services. All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Statements of future expectations, estimate, projections, and other forward-looking statements are based on available information and author’s view as of the time of these statements. Accordingly, such statements are inherently speculative as they are based on assumptions that may involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Past performance of various investment strategies, sectors, vehicles and indices are not indicative of future results.

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