By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Investing should be a marathon, not a sprint
Investing
money ladder

The 2016 Summer Olympics begin in Rio de Janeiro next week. One of the most compelling events is the marathon, a 26.2-mile endurance contest with roots dating back to ancient Greece.

It may be that we’ve kept our interest in the marathon because it can teach us much about life — and it certainly has lessons for investors.

In fact, if you were to compare investing to an Olympic sport, it would be much closer to a marathon than a sprint. Here’s why:

• Long-term perspective — Sprinters are unquestionably great athletes, and they work hard to get better. Yet their races are over quickly. But marathoners know they have a long way to go before their race is done, so they have to visualize the end point. And successful investors, too, know that investing is a long-term endeavor, and that they must picture their end results — such as a comfortable retirement — to keep themselves motivated.

• Steady pacing — Sprinters go all out, every second and every stride. But marathoners have to pace themselves — too many spurts of speed could tire them out and doom their performance. As an investor, you, too, should strive for steady, consistent progress. Rather than attempting to rush success and achieve big gains by chasing after supposedly "hot" stocks — which may already have cooled off by the time you hear about them — try to follow a long-term strategy that emphasizes diversification among many different investments. (Keep in mind, though, that while diversification can reduce the impact of market downturns that primarily affect one type of asset, it can’t guarantee success or prevent all losses.)

• Ability to overcome obstacles — When sprinters stumble or fall, they are finished for the race; there’s simply not enough time to recover, so they typically just stop. But over 26 miles, a marathoner can fall and — providing he or she is not injured — get up again, compete and possibly even win. When you’re investing for the long term, you have time to overcome "mishaps" in the form of market volatility. So instead of dropping out of the "race" and heading to the investment sidelines, stay invested in all types of markets. As you near retirement, and you have less time to recover from market downturns, you may need to adjust your portfolio to lower your risk level — but even then, you don’t need to call it quits as an investor.

• Proper fueling — Sprinters have to watch what they eat. But world-class marathoners have to be ultra-diligent about their diets, especially in the period immediately preceding a race. Because they must maximize the oxygen their bodies can use while running, they need a high percentage of their calories to come from carbohydrates, so they "carbo-load" when needed. When you invest, you also need to periodically "refuel" your portfolio so it has the energy and stamina needed to keep you moving forward toward your goals. And that means you must add dollars to those areas of your portfolio that need beefing up. Regular reviews with a financial professional can reveal where these gaps exist.

As an investor, you can learn a lot from Olympic marathoners — so put this knowledge to good use.

This article was written by Edward Jones and provided by Evans, your local Edward Jones financial adviser.

Sign up for our E-Newsletters
Record April boosts Savannah's container trade at port
GardenCityTerminal
The Port of Savannah moved 356,700 20-foot equivalent container units in April, an increase of 7.1 percent. - photo by Provided

The Georgia Ports Authority's busiest April ever pushed its fiscal year-to-date totals to more than 3.4 million 20-foot equivalent container units (TEUs), an increase of 8.8 percent, or 280,000 TEUs, compared to the first 10 months of fiscal 2017.

"We're on track to move more than 300,000 TEUs in every month of the fiscal year, which will be a first for the authority," said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. "We're also anticipating this to be the first fiscal year for the Port of Savannah to handle more than 4 million TEUs."

April volumes reached 356,700 20-foot equivalent container units, up 7.1 percent or 23,700 units. As the fastest growing containerport in the nation, the Port of Savannah has achieved a compound annual growth rate of more than 5 percent a year over the past decade.

"As reported in the recent economic impact study by UGA's Terry College of Business, trade through Georgia's deepwater ports translates into jobs, higher incomes and greater productivity," said GPA Board Chairman Jimmy Allgood. "In every region of Georgia, employers rely on the ports of Savannah and Brunswick to help them become more competitive on the global stage."

To strengthen the Port of Savannah's ability to support the state's future economic growth, the GPA Board approved $66 million in terminal upgrades, including $24 million for the purchase of 10 additional rubber-tired gantry cranes.  

"The authority is committed to building additional capacity ahead of demand to ensure the Port of Savannah remains a trusted link in the supply chain serving Georgia and the Southeast," Lynch said.

The crane purchase will bring the fleet at Garden City Terminal to 156 RTGs. The new cranes will support three new container rows, which the board approved in March. The additional container rows will increase annual capacity at the Port of Savannah by 150,000 TEUs.

The RTGs will work over stacks that are five containers high and six deep, with a truck lane running alongside the stacks. Capable of running on electricity, the cranes will have a lift capacity of 50 metric tons.

The cranes will arrive in two batches of five in the first and second quarters of calendar year 2019.

 Also at Monday's meeting, the GPA Board elected its officers, with Jimmy Allgood as chairman, Will McKnight taking the position of vice chairman and Joel Wooten elected as the next secretary/treasurer.

For more information, visit gaports.com, or contact GPA Senior Director of Corporate Communications Robert Morris at (912) 964-3855 or rmorris@gaports.com.

Latest Obituaries