Personal Finance for Long-Term Investors - The Best Interest

Reset Your Portfolio Expectations, Before It's Too Late | Peter Lazaroff - E112

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Jul 23, 2025

Peter Lazaroff, Chief Investment Officer at PlanCorp and host of The Long-Term Investor podcast, dives into the psychology of investing amid uncertainty. He highlights how media narratives can skew perceptions and urges a focus on business earnings. Peter discusses the importance of separating portfolio management from balance sheet concerns during downturns. He shares strategies for building a cash buffer before retirement and emphasizes the value of global diversification. Consistency in investment strategies is key, as is resilience in the face of market volatility.

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ADVICE

Run Portfolio Fire Drills

Set investing expectations during calm markets to better handle volatility.
Run "fire drills" for your portfolio when markets are stable, not during crashes.

ADVICE

Adjust Portfolio for Comfort

Adjust your portfolio allocation modestly if it helps your emotional comfort during market downturns.
Document reasons for changes to maintain clarity and avoid regret on future decisions.

ANECDOTE

Peter's Personal Investing Hesitation

Peter Lazaroff shares a personal investing behavior anecdote about delaying investment of his health savings account during market volatility.
He admits to human hesitation despite professional knowledge and plans to invest his HSA funds shortly after the recording.

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Jesse welcomes back Peter Lazaroff to discuss the psychology and strategy of investing during uncertain times. They explore how media narratives and recession fears can distort investor behavior, emphasizing the importance of focusing on business earnings rather than sensational headlines. Peter shares why he separates his portfolio thinking from his balance sheet management, especially during potential economic downturns, and offers practical guidance for both pre-retirees and younger investors. The conversation also touches on international diversification, sequence of returns risk, and why consistency in strategy beats chasing performance. Plus, Peter gives an update on his podcast and his upcoming book The Perfect Portfolio.

Key Takeaways: • Media headlines and algorithm-driven news feeds often amplify fear, leading investors away from rational, long-term thinking. • Real-world economic pain doesn’t always correlate with poor stock performance, and vice versa. A stock market decline doesn’t necessarily signal a broader economic recession. • Building a cash buffer ahead of retirement helps mitigate sequence of returns risk. • Global diversification may not always boost returns, but it smooths out the ride, improving compound returns. • A longer-term view of markets and recessions builds resilience and patience. • Planning for a range of outcomes is more effective than trying to call the next market move.

Key Timestamps: (03:00) The Gladiator Analogy: Embracing Volatility (04:26) Setting Realistic Investing Expectations (06:17) Fire Drills for Your Portfolio (09:38) A Letter to Myself: Handling Market Crashes (14:36) Peter Lazaroff Joins the Conversation (27:15) Understanding the Emotional Side of Investing (29:39) The Importance of Documenting Investment Decisions (32:14) The Impact of News Narratives on Investment Decisions (41:23) Recession and Its Effects on Your Portfolio (46:53) International vs. Domestic Investments

Key Topics Discussed:The Best Interest, Jesse Cramer, Wealth Management Rochester NY, Financial Planning for Families, Fiduciary Financial Advisor, Comprehensive Financial Planning, Retirement Planning Advice, Tax-Efficient Investing, Risk Management for Investors, Generational Wealth Transfer Planning, Financial Strategies for High Earners, Personal Finance for Entrepreneurs, Behavioral Finance Insights, Asset Allocation Strategies, Advanced Estate Planning Techniques

Mentions: Website: https://peterlazaroff.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterlazaroff/ Mentions: Peter's Book: https://peterlazaroff.com/freebook Are You Not Entertained? https://bestinterest.blog/are-you-not-entertained/ Break Glass in Case of Market Crash? https://bestinterest.blog/break-glass-market-crash/

More of The Best Interest: Check out the Best Interest Blog at https://bestinterest.blog/ Contact me at jesse@bestinterest.blog Consider working with me at https://bestinterest.blog/work/

The Best Interest Podcast is a personal podcast meant for education and entertainment. It should not be taken as financial advice, and is not prescriptive of your financial situation.