The election is over. Now what?

By David Jackson, MBA, CFP^®, C(K)P^™, Managing Partner – Investments, Southern Springs Capital Group

We were told repeatedly that this was the most consequential election of our lifetimes.

I am writing this a few days prior to election day, and by the time you read it, we may or may not know the winners of each race throughout the country. But I know there are some things that will happen now that the election is over, both among our clients and among investors everywhere. There will be approximately 40-50 percent of you that are very excited about the outcome. There won’t be any trouble convincing you to stay invested and you will be very enthusiastic about the future. There will be approximately 40-50 percent of you that will be very worried, thinking that maybe the future doesn’t look very bright. You’ll want to look at liquidating, scaling back, etc. The rest of you are like me, apolitical, and don’t really care about elections all that much.

This column is primarily aimed at the disappointed and worried group. Now that election day has passed, I want you to take a deep breath. Then, I want you to find the nearest 24-hour Wal-Mart. You don’t have to actually go in the store, just go to the parking lot. Take notice of how many cars you see. No one I know goes to Wal-Mart to “look around.” If people are at Wal-Mart, they are there to buy something. Note how many people are there to buy things.

Then go to your favorite restaurant (when they are open). Again, you don’t have to go in, just look around the parking lot. Most people I know do not go to a restaurant to “hang out.” (Maybe a few millennials, but I digress). If people are there, it’s usually to eat and/or drink something. You can repeat this exercise with just about any merchant where you regularly do business.

Then I want you to say these words out loud: “Commerce Will Continue, Commerce Will Continue, Commerce Will Continue.” Repeat however many times it’s necessary. If you are invested in the kinds of companies that need either Republicans or Democrats to be in charge for them to be successful, you are invested in the wrong kinds of companies.

I know some don’t actually look at the specific companies that they are invested in that often, they look at the total value every so often and move on. If you are in the disappointed group, get online, or get out a copy of your statement and look at the specific companies. I think you will find that most of them are not going out of business based upon the election results.

One prediction I feel fairly certain in making is that pundits in 2024 will say that the 2024 election will be the most consequential election of our lifetimes. In 2028, they will say the same thing again. There is a lot of money raised and a lot of TV viewers gained based upon getting you to believe that. Don’t fall for it. At least not when it comes to your portfolio.

Commerce Will Continue.

For more information on Southern Springs Capital Group, visit www.southernspringscapital.com. Our offices are located at 2555 Meridian Boulevard in Franklin. We can be reached at 615-905-4819.

Any opinions are those of Southern Springs Capital and not necessarily those of Raymond James. Expressions of opinion are as of this date and are subject to change without notice. There is no guarantee that these statements, opinions or forecasts provided herein will prove to be correct. Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected.

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