THIS TIME IS DIFFERENT

The phrase “this time is different” might just be the four most expensive words in the annals of investing. It’s a siren song that lures investors to the rocky shores of financial ruin, often during the bubbly times when the market’s champagne is flowing and everyone’s wearing rose-tinted glasses.
It’s the rallying cry of the overconfident, the anthem of the speculative bubble blower, and the last words of the financial historian’s cautionary tale.

This notorious phrase encapsulates the hubris of assuming that the fundamental rules of economics and market cycles can be suspended, like the laws of gravity in a cartoon chase off the cliff’s edge.

Investors chanting this mantra believe they’ve stumbled upon a new paradigm, a brave new world where the old rules are as outdated as a rotary phone. They’ll point to technological innovations, disruptive business models, or even just a change in consumer tastes as evidence that the historical precedents no longer apply. But history is like that one guest at the party who remembers everything – it doesn’t forget, and it certainly doesn’t care for your “new paradigm.” The truth is, economic cycles have more comebacks than a 90s boy band on a nostalgia tour.

When investors ignore the lessons of the past, they’re essentially playing a high-stakes game of financial Jenga. They pull out block after block of sound investment strategy, stacking them into an increasingly precarious tower of “it’s different this time” justifications. Eventually, the tower wobbles, and with one wrong move – maybe a change in interest rates, a geopolitical event, or just the collective realisation that things have gone too far – down comes the tower, investments and all.

The reality is, markets are cyclical, and they have a rhythm as predictable as a metronome. Ignoring this rhythm and betting on a “new normal” is like expecting a lion to become a vegetarian because you’ve only ever seen it eat plants. Sure, it might work for a while, but eventually, nature reasserts itself. And in the market, that reassertion often comes in the form of a correction or a crash, reminding everyone that while the players may change, the game remains the same.

So, the next time you hear someone say “this time is different,” remember that it’s probably not. It’s just the market’s version of a rerun, and we all know how those end – with the credits rolling and investors wishing they’d switched the channel sooner.

We at MyQ are on your side and are here to ensure that you don’t fall for the “this time is different” trap. Our measured approach driven by economic fundamentals rather than what’s “hot” ensures that your portfolios are well prepared for any future events. We never presume that “this time is different”. We know that markets are sometimes irrational, but they ALWAYS revert to the norm like an old bull elephant that sometimes strays from his migration path to chase a tasty treat but always gets back on the same path as they know it’s safe and predictable.

YOU have worked hard for YOUR money and YOU need to know that YOUR investment managers have YOUR interests at the forefront.

We always treat your money with the care and respect that it deserves and our investors interests are at the core of our process.

This is YOUR cue to work with MyQ to build the future that YOU want and to secure
YOUR financial well-being now.