Apr. 9: Investing During Times of Turmoil

April 9, 2026

Investing during times of world turmoil – what strategies are out there?

There’s no question – amid wars around the globe and a tricky trade war here at home – that we are living in unusual times.

What, if anything, should investors be doing during this latest bout of world turmoil? Save with SPP took a look around to see what strategies commentators are suggesting to ride out the storm.

Writing in The Globe and Mail Gordon Pape suggests taking “part profits,” or selling off some of your holdings.

“I don’t like selling in times of adversity. In fact, most financial experts suggest the opposite course: buy when prices are weak. But we’ve enjoyed strong stock markets in recent years, and you may hold securities that have more than doubled in value, even after last week’s pullback. Taking some of that money off the table and holding it in reserve in case the situation further deteriorates isn’t a bad idea,” he suggests, adding that you should first “check out tax consequences” and not “overdo it.”

He suggests we “check out commodities. Wars are bad news for stocks and bonds. But they can lift commodity prices, as we’ve seen with oil and gas.”

Keep an eye out for “special situations,” or companies that are doing well because of the crisis, such as energy stocks (due to impacts on oil shipping). He adds that we should consider holding some gold, as the precious metal can be a hedge against inflation and is considered a “safe haven” investment. He concludes by suggesting we all keep a bit more money in the U.S dollar, as it is “holding up well so far. Part of your cash holdings should be in greenbacks.”

He suggests things “will get better, so keep your cool and take advantage of situations as they arise.”

Writing in the Financial Post, Peter Hodson of 5i Research suggests one strategy is to be contrarian, and “buy the fear.”

“When investors panic we will often start buying. It has proven to be a good strategy, since every market downturn has ended at some point,” he continues. Sectors like energy may do quite well in these times, he adds.

“Oil of course is always a strategic asset during times of war. In the current conflict, the threat of the Strait of Hormuz closing has resulted in a big spike in oil prices. The energy sector was already doing well before this war started but has picked up steam since then,” he writes.

Gold, he concludes, “can be a good place to hide out when worried about global events, financial crises, or wars.”

An article from MoneySense from three years ago makes some still-valid points.

Alan Small writes that there is often “not a lot” investors can do when faced with a time of crisis.

“When markets sell off for reasons that are more temporary than related to economics and performance, it’s important to take emotion out of decision-making and not go into panic mode about your investments,” he writes. “Markets may dip, but they don’t usually collapse. It’s possible your portfolio’s value may drop for a period of time. In the past, after a crisis has ended—and regardless of the outcome—the markets have regained stability, and investment returns have bounced back.”

“My best advice in the face of a world crisis: Stay calm, take a deep breath and focus on the fundamentals,” he advises.

Before adopting any new investment strategy it is a very prudent idea to talk to your financial adviser. If you don’t have a financial adviser, now might be a very good time to get one and leverage their experiences with managing through things like the Tech Wreck, the World Financial Crisis and the COVID-19 Pandemic.

If you’re not experienced with managing money, but want to save for retirement, the Saskatchewan Pension Plan might be a valuable saving partner. SPP is open to any Canadian who has registered retirement savings plan room.

You can contribute any amount you choose to the plan (up to your annual RRSP limit) and can transfer in any amount from other RRSPs you might hold. Once SPP has received your savings dollars, our job is to grow them via investment in our professionally managed, low-cost pooled fund.

At retirement, your job is to receive your grown savings as income, with options including the security of a lifetime monthly annuity payment or the more flexible Variable Benefit.

Check out SPP today!

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Financial Post, Money Sense, The Globe and Mail

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