This Week’s Blog Is Written By Scott D. Heins, CFP®, IAG Chief Investment Officer
September 10, 2025

Pardon me if I missed something, but is/was Halloween early this year? It may have been an illusion, but I am pretty sure I saw some Christmas decorations while I was out shopping this past weekend.

As spooky as the end of October can be, the financial markets tend to celebrate their own version of Halloween during the last two weeks of September. They are statistically the worst two weeks of the year.

The key difference between real Halloween and Market Halloween is predictability. Everyone knows that the last two weeks of October will be filled with an odd combination of terrifying decorations, scary and cute costumes, and plenty of candy. If you go to a haunted house some of the fear may be real, but for all its hype, Halloween is really not all that scary.

The late September Market Halloween may or may not happen, creating even more suspense and intrigue for some people than actual Halloween. This version of Halloween can be marked with the scary-looking headlines that strike fear in the hearts of traders or those costumed as long-term investors.

Sometimes September monthly investment statements actually show a decline in value from the previous month if Market Halloween strikes enough fear. This scary prospect can foster additional fears, creating a cycle of doom, gloom, and darkness that expands this unfriendly holiday into future months or even years.

While real Halloween passes when the calendar flips to November, there is no such timely promise with Market Halloween. The scariest part of Market Halloween is that we never know when it will end. The suffering and pessimism drag on day after day after day. Until it doesn’t.

The only remedy to such frightening circumstances is long-term confidence. Confidence that the financial markets will lead to Thanksgiving at some unknown Thursday in the future. Confidence that your personal financial plan and customized investment portfolio allocated enough market time to recover from Market Halloween. Confidence that this, too, shall pass as every Market Halloween has in the past.

Whether you celebrate real Halloween in October or Market Halloween in September, just remember that not everything that appears scary will really harm you in the long-term. You are very likely to survive to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas (either the real predictable holidays or the unpredictable market holidays).

Quote of the week: Carl Richards: “The biggest risk investors face is getting scared out of their plans at exactly the wrong time.”

Securities offered through LPL Financial. Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through IAG Wealth Partners, LLC, (IAG) a registered investment advisor and separate entity from LPL Financial.

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results.

Any opinions are those of IAG and not necessarily those of LPL Financial. Expressions of opinion are as of this date and are subject to change without notice. This information is not intended as a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell any security referred to herein. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. Investing involves risk including loss of principal.

Photo Credit: iStock 2233030535

ART: 794560