I Panicked When I Checked My Portfolio Balance Last Night. Then I Did This.

It's no secret that the stock market has taken investors on an incredibly turbulent ride over the past two months. And while we can tell ourselves as investors that this volatility will eventually settle, it's still a hard thing to grapple with.

I learned that the hard way when I violated one of my key investing rules -- don't check your portfolio on a day when stocks tank. On March 7, the Dow fell about 2.4% while the S&P 500 dropped 3% in the wake of continued turmoil overseas. These dips are on top of the falling values stocks have faced since January.

All told, when I glanced at my portfolio, I saw that it's down about 13% from where it was at the start of the year. That's somewhat in line with the broad market's performance, so it shouldn't have come as a shock. Yet when I looked at my balance on screen, my heart did a flutter (not the good kind) and I felt my pulse start to quicken.

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Source Fool.com