Focus on the factors we can control. It's a recurring theme, I know.

Many investment companies and firms as well as the financial media want to tell you they ”know” what the markets will do. They do this in the form of fancy brochures, quarterly reports, and very catchy headlines. Don’t fall for it. No one can consistently and reliably predict the direction of the market. And even if they could, why would they tell anyone? Seriously.

Rather than relying on predictions (guesses), our investment philosophy is KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid). Low cost, globally diversified. We aren’t trying to beat the market. We simply want to capture the returns the markets offer.

While designing and implementing an investment approach that makes no predictions is a good start, there’s another factor that’s even more important: your behavior.

How you behave around your investments is likely the biggest factor in determining your investment success. We just aren't wired to do this stuff. In fact, we’re pretty bad at it.

That's where having a solid investment plan comes into play. It guides your investments - and you - in good times and bad times. So you can focus on the factors in your control, and also on the other meaningful areas of your life.