You are not alone if you've ever been unsure whether to keep your money invested in the stock market or property or play it safe with a cash savings account. It is easy to second guess yourself and question whether the path you are taking is the right direction for you and your family.

Constant sensationalist and adverse media reporting can lead you to believe the world's end is on the horizon and world economies are about to collapse. This rhetoric is only exacerbated by news surrounding the economic and health aftereffects of COVID-19, political instability, and wars around the world, which can easily impact how we think about investments.

When deciding whether to keep your current investments or sell out, there's much to ponder. It's a critical choice for financial success, and while it's tempting to go with cash during uncertain times, more often than not, it's much more beneficial to stick with investments.

Think Long-Term for Growth

One big reason to remain invested is the opportunity for your wealth to grow over time as over the years, stocks and similar investments have beaten inflation and offered better returns. When you invest with the long haul in mind, you benefit from compounding, meaning your investments can grow much more over time than just having your wealth in cash.

Timing the Market

If it were easy to know when the market highs and lows are, when the perfect time to buy is and when is the ideal time to sell, the world would be filled with millionaires.

Even the best investors around struggle with timing, with the legend Warren Buffet once saying he's only made a few truly great investment decisions in his long and profitable career. Trying to predict market swings can easily result in bad outcomes, such as selling at a low point or missing out on a bull market.

Diversification Reduces Risk

Spreading investments across different asset types and not putting all your eggs in one basket can help protect you when the markets are unstable. By investing in a portfolio of diverse assets, as one dips in value, another will rise, balancing things out.

The Downsides of Cash

It is always nice to have access to cash, and it makes you feel safe, but holding too much of your wealth like this can lead to you missing out on better returns elsewhere. Even with interest rates at their highest for a while, cash savings tend not to keep up with inflation, meaning your buying power is eroded over time.

Emotional Investing

Investing can trigger strong emotions and lead to decisions being made with the heart instead of the head, especially in volatile times. Sticking with a well-thought-out long-term plan helps you avoid making decisions based on fear or greed and gives you confidence in challenging times.

Bounce Backs

History shows that after financial downturns, markets recover, and while market crashes and recessions do occur and are of varying durations, they're usually followed by periods of recovery and substantial growth. Staying invested means you are included in the gains generated if any rebound.

Conclusion

So, in conclusion, almost all professionals believe that remaining invested is much more financially rewarding than holding cash, so while it's always good to have enough on hand to cover emergencies and short-term needs, for the long term, sticking with investments is almost always the better bet.