Market Recovery Myths & Smart Protection Strategies - From Recovery to Protection: A Safe Money Approach

Brian Beavers
Apr 10
3 min read

When the market takes a hit, what do you do to steady the ship and protect your portfolio from further damage? Most people experience a mix of emotions — fear, frustration, even regret. That’s completely normal. No one likes seeing their hard-earned savings take a hit. But the real question is: what’s your next move?

That’s where many investors fall into one of the biggest mindset traps: “I just need to make back my losses first — then I’ll move to safety.” Let’s break down why that approach is risky — and what a smarter, safer strategy could look like.

The Myth: “I’ll Move to Safety Once I’ve Recovered”

This is something I hear all the time as an asset protection planner: “I’m just waiting for the market to bounce back. Then I’ll think about protecting some of it.”

It’s an understandable mindset — but also a dangerous one, especially for those approaching or already in retirement.

Here’s the truth:

The market doesn’t know what you lost.
It doesn’t owe you anything.
And it’s not guaranteed to bounce back on your timeline.

Waiting to recover before protecting your assets can mean missing your chance to safeguard what’s still left. The Reality: Big Losses Require Even Bigger Gains. If your account drops 30%, you don’t just need a 30% return to break even — you need a 43% gain just to get back to where you started. That’s a steep climb in today’s uncertain markets.

While history shows that markets do recover, there’s no crystal ball to tell us when — or how long it might take. After the 2008 crash, for example, many retirement accounts took 4 to 6 years to fully recover. And during that waiting game? Your money stays fully exposed to further loss, with no guarantees.

The Safe Money Shift: From Recovery to Protection...

What if — instead of trying to “win it all back” — you shifted your focus? What if your goal became protecting your retirement lifestyle, not just recovering a number?

That’s where Safe Money strategies come into play. At Beavers Retirement Solutions, we specialize in helping clients reposition a portion of their portfolio into vehicles that offer:

100% protection from market loss
A volatility buffer to reduce risk
Growth potential tied to market indexes
Guaranteed lifetime income in retirement
Asset protection strategies for peace of mind
Tax-efficient legacy planning for your family

The Balanced Approach: It’s Not All or Nothing

You don’t have to go all-in or all-out. In fact, the smartest move is often a balanced, diversified strategy:

Keep part of your portfolio in growth investments with built-in hedging and more active management.
Shift a portion to safe money products like annuities for guarantees and income.
Use cash value life insurance to grow money tax-deferred and access it tax-free in retirement.
Leverage tax loss harvesting strategies to reduce your tax bill.

This kind of planning removes the pressure to "time the market" and replaces it with clarity, confidence, and control.

The Bottom Line: Turn Losses Into Long-Term Security.

There’s no shame in experiencing losses — it happens to the best of us. What matters is how you respond. Do you wait and hope? Or act and protect?

If you're feeling uncertain about what to do next, let’s talk. Our team can help you build a plan that puts you back in control — with safe money strategies designed to protect your future.

Book a Call - Schedule a quick, 15-minute strategy session to get your custom Asset Protection Plan, plus our FREE Safe Money Guide.

Schedule Today!