Thoughts on panic selling.

in #investing3 years ago

In general, I am quite new to investing. I've only started doing so with intent last year, when I opened a 401k through my job. Shortly after, I started a Roth IRA.

A little before starting the Roth, I delved into crypto, without any real research, but full of curiosity. Like many others, during that time I experienced gains and loss, with the former obviously being more engaging. Once loss happened, my interest in investing would fade away.

The one advantage I have currently, is having the good sense to save an emergency fund; as a result, the urge to sell isn't really something I feel.

At the same time though, I cannot help but feel that "bagholding" for too long isn't the best strategy. I cannot predict the future and don't have a crystal ball, so who's to say what will ultimately happen? Perhaps cashing out is ideal when you've hit a point of satisfaction with your results?

At the end of the day, it all seems to come down to personal preference. My thoughts on holding my investments might change, simply because I'm not inclined to sell any of them at this time. Will that change as time passes? Hard to say.

Having the emergency fund, for me, means that there is no sense of "panic" when it comes to investment loss. Ultimately I think this is key and I've not heard any real sound arguments against having an emergency fund, but I'm open to different perspectives.