Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
What successful investors should focus on during market uncertainty
Moneymagpie Team
14th May 2026
Recent headlines have felt hard to ignore. Geopolitical events, such as tensions in the Middle East, have unsettled global markets and led to sharp movements across major indices.
You might have checked your investments and felt a knot in your stomach, and that’s natural. When markets swing, uncertainty can make even experienced investors question their approach.
Yet these moments often test discipline more than knowledge. The decisions you make now can shape your long-term outcomes far more than any single market event.
Staying invested
When markets fall, your instinct might push you to wait it out in cash. However, stepping out of the market during turbulent periods often means missing the recovery that follows. Markets rarely send a clear signal when it’s safe to return.
For example, after previous geopolitical shocks, markets such as the S&P 500 have often rebounded quickly, sometimes within weeks. If you sell after a drop and wait for reassurance, you risk buying back in at higher prices.
Staying invested helps you remain part of that recovery. This approach doesn’t remove risk, but it avoids locking in losses that only exist on paper.
Thinking long term
Short-term volatility can feel alarming, yet zooming out tells a different story. For example, the S&P 500 has shown a steady upward trend over the decades, despite wars, recessions and financial crises.
This long-term pattern reflects the growth of global businesses and economies over time. If you reflect on this, it can help you place today’s uncertainty in a wider, more reassuring context.
Pound-cost averaging
Volatility can work in your favour if you keep investing regularly. This approach, known as pound-cost averaging (or dollar-cost averaging, over the pond), means you invest a fixed amount on a regular basis regardless of market conditions.
When prices fall, your money buys more; and when they rise, it buys fewer. Over time, this process can reduce the average cost of your investments. This process keeps your strategy simple and consistent.
Keeping costs low
When returns feel uncertain, costs matter even more. High fees can quietly eat into your gains, especially during periods of slower growth. Keeping your investment costs low helps you hold on to more of what your money earns.
Using a tax-efficient account like a Stocks and Shares ISA can make a meaningful difference. Not only do you avoid capital gains tax and dividend tax, but choosing a provider with low management fees ensures more of your returns stay invested.
Over time, this combination can have a noticeable impact on your overall portfolio value.
Final thoughts…
Uncertain markets can feel personal, especially when you see the value of your investments move up and down. Yet these moments form a normal part of investing rather than an exception to it. When you think long term and focus on what you can control, you give yourself a stronger chance of reaching your goals.
You don’t need to predict the next headline or outguess the market. Instead, you need a steady approach that you can stick with even when it feels uncomfortable. That consistency, more than any single decision, often separates successful investors from the rest.
Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.
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