Current market environment performance of dynamic, risk-managed investment solutions.
By Jerry Wagner
Markets have a way of reminding us that smooth sailing isn’t always the norm. We’ve recently seen one of those reminders. A flurry of tariff news, rapid-fire economic data, and sharp reversals in investor sentiment created a market storm that shook even the most seasoned participants. Major indexes gave up gains in a matter of hours. Bond yields leapt. Volatility surged. Headlines used words like “crash” and “plunge.”
But through the chaos, our strategies were already adjusting. Like a skilled crew navigating rough seas, the dynamically risk-managed strategies you own at Flexible Plan Investments (FPI) weren’t left exposed to the waves—they responded. That movement isn’t panic; it’s planning in motion.
Built for moments like this
It’s natural to feel unsettled when markets move fast and in unexpected ways. It’s easy to question whether the current course is the right one. But this is precisely why FPI exists—to manage those feelings with action, not emotion.
Our strategies are not static. They are designed to read conditions as they unfold and act accordingly. While most of our strategies, such as the QFC Multi-Strategy Portfolios and All-Terrain strategies, were already positioned defensively, several of our equity strategies shifted from bullish to more defensive or even short positions. Bond allocations reduced duration as yields spiked. Others rotated into noncorrelated assets. These moves weren’t based on guesses. Our signals are grounded in data and logic.
The goal isn’t to avoid every bump or catch every turn—no approach can do that. But we can adjust the sails when the wind shifts, which is exactly what your strategy has been doing.
Behavioral currents run deep
Market storms don’t just test portfolios—they test patience. Behavioral finance tells us that loss aversion can make a 2% drop feel like a 10% one. And our tendency to fall for recency bias convinces us that what just happened will continue indefinitely. These instincts can lead to counterproductive decisions, like abandoning a plan that’s working because the weather suddenly turned.
In these moments, the hardest thing to do is often the most important: stay on board. If you’re already invested in a strategy designed to adapt, the key isn’t to switch ships midstorm—it’s to let the captain steer.
This is what dynamic risk management looks like
What we’ve seen in recent weeks wasn’t a failure of markets. It was a vivid demonstration of why dynamic risk management exists. Passive investors are taught to hold tight and ride out the storm, but their solution is to remain anchored in one place. Our philosophy is different: We respond to market information and move with intention.
This doesn’t mean we always avoid losses. But it does mean we work daily with your portfolio to reduce exposure to unnecessary risk and position you for recovery. When the market shifts, your strategy shifts. That’s not reactionary—it’s responsive. That’s the reason you chose FPI.
Stay the course. Stay invested. Stay adaptive.
This won’t be the last market storm, and the current turbulence may not be over. But for those already using a dynamically risk-managed strategy, the most essential action may be no action at all. Stay invested. Let the strategy do its job. Trust the system you’ve put in place—not just for tranquil waters, but for times like these.
We can’t calm the seas. But we can navigate them—and we are.