Julia Wendling
2025-05-27 12:48:00
www.visualcapitalist.com
Charted: The Cost of Sitting Out the Market
When markets turn volatile, it’s tempting to pull investments or sit on the sidelines. But missing even a handful of the best-performing days can significantly diminish long-term returns.
This graphic, sponsored by Fidelity, uses TSX market data to show the cost of missing out on the market’s best days.
Sitting Out the Market’s Best-Performing Days
According to Fidelity, an initial $10,000 investment in the TSX Composite between January 1986 and December 2024 would have grown to over $241,179 if left untouched. However, missing the 10 best days would cut that figure by more than half, slashing the ending balance to only $112,875.
| S&P/TSX Composite Index with $10,000 initial investment | Final Return Value (CAD) |
|---|---|
| Fully Invested From January 1986 to December 2024 | $241,179 |
| Missing the 10 Best Days | $112,875 |
| Missing the 15 Best Days | $88,291 |
| Missing the 20 Best Days | $71,684 |
| Missing the 30 Best Days | $48,327 |
| Missing the 40 Best Days | $33,772 |
| Missing the 50 Best Days | $24,417 |
| Missing the 60 Best Days | $18,084 |
Missing 20 or more of the best days will cause your ending portfolio to be reduced by over 70% compared to what could have been.
How Financial Advice Can Help
Partnering with a financial advisor can dramatically improve financial outcomes. Fidelity’s research shows that 92% of retirees with a written financial plan feel positive about their financial situation, compared to just 73% of those without one. Pre-retirees with a plan feel even more secure: 81% vs. 54%.
Canadians who work with an advisor are also 72% more likely to say they feel optimistic about opportunities for future investment growth.
Beyond retirement planning, advisors act as crucial guardrails against emotional investing. 69% of Canadians who work with an advisor say they are closer to reaching their financial goals—largely because advisors help keep portfolios aligned with logic rather than fear.
Avoid Sitting Out the Market by Hiring a Professional
Having a long-term financial roadmap—and a professional to help you stick to it—is one of the most powerful ways to grow and preserve wealth by avoiding mistakes such as sitting out the market.
Learn more about how working with an advisor can help you meet your financial goals.
var disqus_shortname = “visualcapitalist.disqus.com”;
var disqus_title = “Charted: The Cost of Sitting Out the Market”;
var disqus_url = “https://www.visualcapitalist.com/sp/charted-the-cost-of-sitting-out-the-market-fc03/”;
var disqus_identifier = “visualcapitalist.disqus.com-178160”;
Keep your files stored safely and securely with the SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable SSD. With over 69,505 ratings and an impressive 4.6 out of 5 stars, this product has been purchased over 8K+ times in the past month. At only $129.99, this Amazon’s Choice product is a must-have for secure file storage.
Help keep private content private with the included password protection featuring 256-bit AES hardware encryption. Order now for just $129.99 on Amazon!
Help Power Techcratic’s Future – Scan To Support
If Techcratic’s content and insights have helped you, consider giving back by supporting the platform with crypto. Every contribution makes a difference, whether it’s for high-quality content, server maintenance, or future updates. Techcratic is constantly evolving, and your support helps drive that progress.
As a solo operator who wears all the hats, creating content, managing the tech, and running the site, your support allows me to stay focused on delivering valuable resources. Your support keeps everything running smoothly and enables me to continue creating the content you love. I’m deeply grateful for your support, it truly means the world to me! Thank you!
BITCOIN
bc1qlszw7elx2qahjwvaryh0tkgg8y68enw30gpvge Scan the QR code with your crypto wallet app |
DOGECOIN
D64GwvvYQxFXYyan3oQCrmWfidf6T3JpBA Scan the QR code with your crypto wallet app |
ETHEREUM
0xe9BC980DF3d985730dA827996B43E4A62CCBAA7a Scan the QR code with your crypto wallet app |
Please read the Privacy and Security Disclaimer on how Techcratic handles your support.
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, Techcratic may earn from qualifying purchases.
