Why you should stay the course with your investments, even if markets are moving.

Thanks to Jackie - investment specialist

If you're investing for your retirement, or saving for some other future goal, you're doing the right thing ... you're paying yourself first and setting this money aside to meet your long-term objectives.

But as time goes on... as your life changes and your priorities shift, you may be tempted to give up the good savings and investing habits you've developed.

My advice to you is to develop a plan and stick with it. By having a plan and continuing to invest regularly, you would be surprised at how you will meet your goals over time.

Are you concerned about the markets going up and down? That's fair - a lot of people have that concern. But my advice is the same - stick with it. Because a good way to handle the everyday ups and downs of the market is to stay the course and follow your plan.

It's never good to "chase" the market because you may find you are buying high and selling low instead of the other way around. Staying invested over time is one of the best ways to get a better overall return.

Imagine if you're on a road trip, and you hit a bit of traffic on the highway. You're not going to abandon the trip just because you've hit a tough spot - you'll never get to your destination! And if you try to test out which route may be faster and you go searching for side roads, chances are you'll end up falling further behind schedule.

It's the same with investing. Like traffic, it's difficult to predict what's going to happen next. Studies have shown that many investors lose money when they try to predict where the market will go.

Invest regularly, and stay focused on your investment objectives. If your objectives have changed, or if you're comfort with risk is different from when you started investing, it's easy to do a review of your investments and make sure you're still happy with where your money is being invested. It's good to review and rebalance every year - as your life changes.

Don't give up on saving and investing for the future - you'll be in a much better position down the road if you stay in the market.

Investment advice is provided by Royal Mutual Funds Inc. Royal Mutual Funds Inc., RBC Asset Management Inc., Royal Bank of Canada, Royal Trust Corporation of Canada, The Royal Trust Company and Phillips, Hager & North Investment Management Ltd. are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. Royal Mutual Funds Inc. is licensed as a financial services firm in the province of Quebec.

Visit the RBC Advice Centre for more information.