On August 2, 1990, the world woke up to a grim headline: “Iraq Invades Kuwait; Oil Prices Soar, Markets Plunge.”
Accepting that the outcomes of geopolitical events are hard to predict doesn’t mean they’re not important. But as an investor you need to focus on what you can control. That’s why diversification, maintaining flexibility and planning for the unexpected are critical tools, as Karen Umland, Senior Investment Director at Dimensional Fund Advisors, explains in this article.
Some investors believe they can predict both the outcome of complex geopolitical situations and how this will affect financial markets. That’s a tall order. A better approach, says this article, is to ask yourself whether your portfolio remains appropriately diversified for a range of outcomes and whether there has been any change in your objectives.
