The Market is Up, So Why is Your Account Down?

You wake up, check the news, and see the markets are soaring. Relief washes over you until you log into your account and notice your balance has dropped. Confusion turns to panic. How can the headlines say one thing while your portfolio tells a very different story? 

This kind of confusion hits especially hard for Americans living in Israel who have U.S. accounts. One of our prospective clients saw a headline about improving markets, but his portfolio had taken a hit. It didn’t make sense to him, which is why he called us.  

Why the Market and Your Portfolio Don’t Always Match 

Investors want clear, cause-and-effect logic. But markets don’t work that way.

Your account doesn’t always reflect the day’s headlines. Maybe your holdings move differently from the major indexes. Maybe currency shifts or after-hours trades distort what you see. Headlines grab your attention, but they don’t explain how your portfolio is built or what your long-term plan entails. Most portfolios move in complex ways, and short-term noise rarely tells the full story. 

A Strong Portfolio Anticipates Discomfort 

Markets drop. That’s not a surprise. A good portfolio accounts for that.  

That’s why investment plans include risk profiles, rebalancing strategies, and diversification. These tools aren’t meant to eliminate every market drop. They’re meant to make sure a drop doesn’t knock you off course. The biggest danger isn’t the loss; it’s the reaction. 

Discipline Wins When Noise Gets Loud 

You don’t always need to act. Sometimes, the smartest response is to stay steady when the market tries to push you off course. 

If you’re not sure your investment plan can hold up under pressure, especially with accounts in different countries, now is a good time to find out. Schedule an introductory call at profile-financial.com/call. We’ll help you see if your portfolio is working for you and see if we can help adjust it if it’s not.