It won’t feel exciting—and that’s a good thing
Many clients are surprised to hear that a good investment portfolio should feel a little… boring. Not because it’s uninteresting, but because it’s designed to provide stability—not drama.
We build your portfolio to align with your goals and tolerance for risk, not the latest market trend. That means it’s designed to hold its ground during tough times and grow steadily over time, rather than chasing quick wins. If your portfolio feels uneventful, that’s often a sign it’s working well.
Behind the scenes, our team continues to monitor, review and rebalance where needed—so you don’t have to. The aim is consistency, not excitement.
Your investment portfolio will rise and fall—and that’s normal
One of the most important things to remember about investing is that your portfolio will fall in value from time to time. It’s not a sign that something is wrong—it’s simply how markets behave.
This movement is known as volatility—a term that describes the short-term rises and falls in investment values. Just like the weather, it changes daily, sometimes unpredictably. But over time, this volatility is absorbed into the broader pattern of long-term growth.
In fact, for those of you contributing regularly into ISAs or pensions, these fluctuations can actually help. When prices dip, your contributions buy more units. When values rise again, those extra units are worth more. This natural rhythm is known as pound-cost averaging—and it’s one of the reasons we often recommend regular, consistent investing rather than trying to time the market.
At Chilvester, we help you look past the short-term noise and keep focus on the long-term plan—so that volatility becomes something you expect, not something you fear.
Different parts will perform at different times
It’s perfectly normal to look at your portfolio and see that some investments are doing better than others.
Your portfolio includes a variety of assets: some designed to grow during strong markets, others to help cushion the impact during downturns. They won’t all perform well at the same time—and that’s by design.
We often use the analogy of a garden planted for all seasons. Some areas bloom in spring, others come into their own later in the year. The variety ensures there’s always something growing—even when some parts are resting.
As your advisers, we’re regularly reviewing these components to ensure the balance still suits your needs. It’s part of the long-term strategy, not a sign that something needs fixing.
There will be seasons of disappointment
From time to time, markets go through difficult patches. That might be triggered by political change, economic downturns, or global events. During these periods, it’s common for portfolios to fall temporarily in value.
We know this can feel unsettling. But these dips are part of the normal investing cycle. Just like winter in the garden, they don’t mean everything is dying—they’re simply a phase in a longer process.
One of our key roles at Chilvester is to help you stay the course during these periods. We’re here to provide perspective, explain what’s happening, and ensure your plan remains on track—because it’s often the investors who stay invested during challenging periods who see the strongest long-term results.
Trying to time the market rarely works
When markets fall, it’s tempting to try to avoid further losses by moving your money to something “safer”. And when things rise quickly, it can be tempting to chase after better returns. But this approach—known as market timing—rarely works in practice.
That’s because the best days in markets often follow the worst ones. If you’re not invested when the rebound comes, you risk missing out on much of the recovery.
This is why we focus on helping you build a long-term strategy and stick to it, even when the headlines look worrying. We don’t try to predict the future—we help you prepare for it, whatever it may bring.
You need to give it time
Investing isn’t a quick fix—it’s a long-term journey. The real value comes not from what the portfolio does over weeks or months, but how it performs over years and decades.
A big part of this is something called compounding—where your investments earn returns, and those returns go on to earn more returns. The longer your money stays invested, the more powerful this effect becomes.
It’s a bit like growing an orchard. At first, it can seem slow. But over time, the growth starts to accelerate—as long as you don’t uproot it too early.
As part of our review process at Chilvester, we keep you informed of how things are progressing and help you stay focused on the bigger picture.
Your behaviour matters more than the portfolio
Even the most well-designed investment portfolio can be undone by poor decisions made in moments of stress.
As your advisers, we spend a lot of time talking with clients about behaviour—because staying calm and disciplined during difficult times can have a greater impact on your long-term success than any one investment decision.
That’s why we’re here. Not just to recommend funds, but to help you navigate the emotional side of investing. To provide a sounding board when markets are rocky. And to help you feel confident that you’re still moving in the right direction.
We’ll keep you grounded, guided, and growing
At Chilvester, our role doesn’t end once your portfolio is in place. We’re constantly reviewing how the strategy is performing, whether it still aligns with your goals, and whether any changes are needed.
Whether you’re based in Chippenham, Newbury, Bristol or beyond, we’re here to help you feel supported in every season of your financial journey. You don’t have to interpret markets, predict outcomes, or make big decisions alone—we’re always just a conversation away.
In summary
A healthy investment portfolio will go up and down. It will feel quiet more often than it feels exciting. Parts of it will perform at different times, and yes, there will be periods when nothing seems to be growing.
But with a long-term strategy, regular reviews, and calm guidance through each season, it can deliver the steady progress that underpins your future plans.
At Chilvester, we’re here to help you understand what’s happening, why it’s happening, and—most importantly—what to do next. Often, the answer is: stay the course.
