Realistic Return Expectations

About this episode

The episode discusses realistic expectations for investment returns and the importance of diversification in navigating market volatility.

In this episode of Financial Clarity for Doctors, hosts Corey Janoff and Rachelle Vanderzanden walk through some realistic expectations for investment returns. The biggest thing is to expect a bumpy ride! Then it is harder to be caught off guard. In this episode we discuss: Historical returns of different categories of investments over time. The best and worst decades. The range is huge! Cumulative returns over time for different markets and time periods. The value of diversification. Past returns cannot tell us how markets will perform in the future, but they provide great examples of just how volatile investing can be. One of the best years to be invested in large US companies was 1954 with about a 53% return in the S&P 500; while one of the worst years was 2008 with about a -37% return. That is a wide variety of outcomes that you must be prepared for when investing in the stock market. Having diversification can soften those sharp edges a bit, but it’s still going to be a bumpy ride! Listen to the full episode to hear more. For more financial planning tips from Corey and Rachelle, find them on social media!LinkedIn: @CoreyJanoff and @RachelleVanderzanden; Instagram…

People in this episode

Hosts: Corey Janoff, Rachelle Vanderzanden

Topics covered

• investment returns
• market volatility
• diversification
• historical returns
• financial planning

Keywords

• investment returns
• market volatility
• diversification
• historical returns
• financial planning
• S&P 500
• stock market

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: S&P 500

More episodes of Financial Clarity for Doctors

• The Stock Market Will Not Do What You Expect · June 8, 2026 · 32 min
• Don't Even Try to Keep Up with the Doctors on TV · May 25, 2026 · 32 min
• The Economy: Data vs Sentiment · May 11, 2026 · 51 min
• The Challenges of Early Retirement · April 27, 2026 · 39 min
• Teaching Kids to Save · April 13, 2026 · 34 min
• Mutual Funds vs ETFs vs Other Investments · March 30, 2026 · 50 min