CFP Board Webinar Highlights:
The Power of Financial Planning Amid Market Uncertainty

As market turbulence continues to rattle investors, CFP Board stepped in to offer clarity and confidence to the public in a free webinar held on May 15, titled “The Power of a Plan: Navigating Market Uncertainty With Confidence.”. This virtual event aimed to equip everyday investors with the tools they need to weather financial storms and emphasized the enduring value of a holistic financial plan. “Having the information and confidence to make smart money decisions is more important than ever,” said Erin Koeppel, CFP Board’s Managing Director of Government Relations and Public Policy Counsel, as she opened the half-hour webinar.

Joining Koeppel were panelists 2025 CFP Board Chair Liz Miller, CFP®, CFA® and Board Directors Linda Leitz, Ph.D., CFP®, EA and Richard Shaw, MBA, CFP®. “After every major crisis, markets have ultimately rebounded, sometimes rapidly, sometimes more slowly, but always with resilience,” Shaw reassured the audience, “… Investors who remain committed and maintain a long-term perspective have been consistently rewarded over time. … Losses are only realized when you sell. By holding your investments, you give them a chance to recover.”

Shaw also stressed the importance of keeping your head above the flood of sensational financial news that follows any market downturn. Consumers who rely instead on reputable, steadfast financial advice from a financial planner can avoid making costly and panicked mistakes and reach their goals, despite inevitable market volatility.

Miller supported Shaw’s words: “History shows us even bear markets [that are] down over 20%, even more than that in the severe 2007 financial crisis … typically recover in three to five years. If investors stayed the course in 2008 and stuck with the portfolio they had, the vast majority of them had recovered fully within about three years.”

Miller also highlighted the importance of aligning investment strategies with personal time horizons and liquidity needs. Even if retirement may be a decade or two away, an investor may have upcoming wedding costs or college tuition to pay. “Those are multiple goals, and we need to think about our investments in multiple buckets that can meet different liquidity needs,” she said. Investors also should consider the value of diversification. “If you feel your time frame for certain investments and liquidity needs is getting shorter, you might choose to diversify across not just a mix of assets, but a mix of approaches, including passive investing as well as some active investing,” Miller said.

Weathering the Financial Storm

“There are always a few chances to turn some lemons into lemonade,” Leitz said. She noted the importance of having emergency savings and having a cash cushion in retirement so a retiree doesn’t have to sell investments in a down market. She also spoke about some opportunities investors may want to consider when markets are down, such as tax-loss harvesting and Roth IRA conversions. Both of these strategies can help soothe the sting of a down market in the long run; tax-loss harvesting helps offset tax on investing gains, and funds that have been moved to a Roth IRA will grow tax-free when markets rebound.

Retirees who are subject to required minimum distributions may feel particularly pinched. “There may be times when you don't want to sell because the market is down, but you [have] to take the money out,” Leitz said, “Talk to your financial planner and your tax professional. … They may have some very specific [strategies] that you as a consumer [can apply] to your situation that both minimize your taxes, make you in compliance with that RMD requirement and will preserve your long-term possibilities in the account.”

Throughout the webinar, panelists underscored the value of working with a CFP® professional to create a personalized, resilient financial plan. “A professional can help review your portfolio and tailor it to your needs and risk tolerance,” said Miller. Consumers interested in connecting with a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional can visit LetsMakeAPlan.org to use the “Find a CFP® Professional” search tool.