You didn't really "lose" money in the market

In general, when we refer to "The Market" in finance, we are talking about the Stock Market. When the Market goes down for any reason, the media covers this like we should all panic and be worried. This isn't true, and frankly, it's not fair to the public. So, let's get a breakdown of what is actually happening.

When the Market goes down, we don't actually LOSE money. What actually happens is we have lost some VALUE in our securities/holdings, but we don't actually lose money until we sell our investments at that lower price.

The opposite is also true. When the Market goes up, you don't MAKE money unless you sell your investments at a higher price than you purchased it for. It has increased in VALUE for that time.

The biggest piece to this is knowing that the Market goes up and the Market goes down every single year. In fact, it can fluctuate a bunch in any given year. You shouldn't fear these up and down shifts, you should get more comfortable with them so you aren't too excited about growth, and not too panicked about a drop.

It's important to know what is called your "time horizon". This is the amount of time you have until you need the money in your investments. The reason for this is you should invest in different things depending on when you need the money. For example, younger people tend to invest in securities that have a higher risk and higher reward because they have a longer time horizon, while older people tend to invest in shorter-term securities with less risk. You should always consult your Financial Advisor when making any type of investment so you can understand what you are doing and make sure it's right for you.