This article was first published in the Globe and Mail on July 18, 2025. It is being republished with permission.

I recently took a bike vacation with Butterfield and Robinson (a proud Canadian tour company) that implores guests to “slow down to see the world.” I particularly like this tag line because there are few cyclists slower than me.

I also like it because it’s a good investment motto in this sped-up world we live in, where news and views are delivered via fire hose, and taking action is only a few clicks on your phone.

There are investment firms that have the technology and knowledge to thrive in this hyper environment, but for the rest of us, going slow is a better approach. Indeed, if done consistently, slow can give you a big edge.

First, let me explain what makes investors want to go so fast.

False urgency

Media outlets need a steady flow of new content to fill their pages and broadcast hours. This content must have a sense of urgency to grab your attention, whether it’s important or not.

Stories are meant to trigger action. Another click. A trade. A portfolio shift. The purchase of a new product.

The unimportant becomes important for an hour or a day. This false urgency might come in the form of a monthly economic statistic, a quarterly earnings release, a new or approaching milestone for a stock index (usually a round number), or a market strategist’s confident prediction. The result is the same. You’re left feeling like you need to do something.

You may devour the business news like I do, but don’t confuse what’s urgent for a day trader or headline creator with what’s important to you. Their interests aren’t aligned with your portfolio’s goals and time frame.

Think about it for a week

You’re not going to beat or out-think the traders who push stocks up or down milliseconds after an announcement is made, so it’s better to take some time and figure out what the market is reacting to. Is the news significant enough to change your long-term thesis for why you want to own the stock? What do sellers know that you don’t? Is what’s being said knowable, or just speculation fueled by a rising (or falling) stock price?

Successful money managers analyze a company for months. If it’s a good story and the decision is to invest, then they wait for a price that makes it a good investment. Market volatility and false urgency are gifts for investors who know what they’re buying and how much they’re willing to pay.

I liken the slow approach to sound e-mail habits. If you’re hot about something and rip off a scorching e-mail in response, it’s best to put it aside and read it in the morning before sending. Investing is the same.

Giving yourself some time also tests your conviction. Are you still interested in owning the stock after the buzz has abated? If it’s down, are you keen to buy more? How you feel when the urgency is gone is telling.

Position of strength

To slow down, you need to neutralize the false urgency. A big step in that direction is starting with a portfolio that already reflects your goals, time frame and investing personality. I talk a lot in these columns about having a strategic asset mix, or SAM. Your SAM is the mix of asset types, industry sectors, geographies and currencies. It’s your default portfolio, your position of strength.

Urgency bounces off a diversified portfolio, especially if you stick to it and keep changes to a minimum.

Baby steps

If you must react to news of the day, start small. Buy enough to feel invested, but not so much that you can’t do more after you’ve taken time to think about it and/or the price is down. Investing is about putting the odds in your favour and being patient. Chances are that if you feel you’ve missed something, you’ll get another chance.

Investing is a sprint for some investors, but very few. If you’re not a day trader or hedge fund, slow down and enjoy the road.