PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Ghost Month: How Can It Affect Your Investments?

Ghost month or not, we still experience a timely market crisis.


Filipinos are known for superstitious beliefs. 

Most of those superstitions were adopted from our ancestors while some are from the foreign nations which somehow made great ties with us ages ago.

We all have something to say about what to do and what not to do on special occasions and even on ordinary days to attract good luck and stay away from bad omen.

It seems like these superstitions are forever etched in our systems that they can greatly affect how we perceive things – making a huge impact not only on our social but also on our financial being.


What is a ghost month?

What comes into your mind when you hear these “scary-partnered” words?

Halloween?

All Souls Day?

The “Coco” Movie?

Or the month when your ex started ignoring you?

According to Chinese tradition, a ghost month is the time of the year in which ghosts and spirits, including those departed ancestors, come out from the lower realm and roam around the land of the living.

In Chinese culture, the seventh month of the year is considered as the ghost month. This year 2018, it falls on August 11 to September 9.

Some people believe that the ghosts and spirits who are visiting the earthly entities during this time are bringing bad omen or bad luck.

In fact, Feng Sui experts normally suggest avoiding making huge life and even financial decisions like buying a house, starting a business and topping up your investments.

Why would I even care?

For investors on psychologically-driven investments where the market’s trend highly depends on the people’s perception such as stocks and crypto, this is a good subject to tackle.

As what you may have noticed, stocks and crypto assets are mostly on their continuous bearish trends. This actually makes sense since most of the investors in both stocks (especially in the Phillippines) and cryptocurrency largely constitutes Chinese people who strongly believe in the ghost month dogma.

Those people who are highly-driven by FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) caused by this belief can even drive the bear angrier.

Thus, everyone can expect a downturn in overall psychologically-driven investments during this period.

But should we really fear this market’s tough phase?

For some people, they prefer to get back once they see an indication of a reversal.

But if you’re a long-term investor, this is a chance to buy and accumulate more stocks or crypto which you think will have a greater potential to be dragged by a bull in the future.

Invest in bluechip stocks. Buy established cryptocurrencies.

Take advantage while the market is low.

But if you’re a day trader or looking after short-term gains, then you must be very careful with your trades and consider putting stop losses to avoid yourself from falling into the depths of red bars.

Ghost month or not, we still experience a timely market crisis, especially these past few months when the inflation rate went unbelievably high.

Therefore, it is highly advisable to just stick to your own investment plan. Do your monthly thing and prepare to reap the consequences of your financial discipline as the market recovers.

Credits: Cover photo icons are designed by Freepik

Sheila is a civil engineer by profession but has switched careers to become a copywriter. She loves making sales through stories that are relatable to the average person. She's also a sucker for memes and thinks she’s the funniest person in the world (even though she knows that’s not true). Her favorite drink is Kopiko Brown coffee, but she'll also take tea or beer if it's offered.

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