This Week’s Blog Is Written By Scott D. Heins, CFP®, IAG Chief Investment Officer
October 15, 2025

On Monday evening, Brice Turang’s instincts for self-preservation cost the Brewers a game-tying run.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and needing one run to tie the ballgame, the opposing pitcher misfired and sent a pitch directly at Brice’s legs.

If Brice would have stood still, the pitch would have hit him, and he would have been awarded first base – pushing the tying run across home plate and giving the Brewers a chance to win the game.

Instead, Brice jumped out of the way. Physically, I am certain that his leg is pleased with his decision. Getting hit by a baseball travelling 90+-miles-per-hour causes pain. And no one likes pain.

Mentally, I am equally certain that Brice wishes his leg hurt the next morning.

Overriding instincts for self-preservation is very difficult. We have those instincts for a reason, and they usually serve us very well.

However, in certain specific situations, overriding your instincts is the better choice.

One of those situations is the one Brice found himself in on Monday night. If you ever find yourself in that situation, you now know what to do.

Another situation is when the financial markets get squirrely. While market squirreliness does not inflict physical pain, it can inflict mental pain in the form of regret.

When we see our account values going down in value day-by-day, month-by-month, and even sometimes year-by-year, we instinctively look back at how much they were theoretically worth at their peak and regret not going to cash at that time to lock in those values. As if the future was as knowable as our 20/20 hindsight.

Everyone has their own personal threshold for financial pain where their instincts attempt to override their logic and lead them to mistakes.

The key difference between a baseball game and a financial plan is time. Baseball games have much more pressure because every out is such a high percentage of the opportunity set.

Your long-term financial plan is measured in decades instead of outs, and many of you will have 9 “innings” to play ball. Our disciplined investment process ensures that only assets you do not need for 8+ years are invested with stock market level risk so we can afford abundant (though frustrating) strike outs before staging a rally. All it takes is the patience, persistence, and confidence to stay in the game.

Keep following your instincts in almost every situation, but have the mental fortitude to override them when you find yourself in Brice’s situation or during the next market meltdown.

Quote of the week: Jeffrey Saut: “Good investors are instinctively contrarians! You have to learn to go opposite the mayhem of the markets.”

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.

ART: 811115-1

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