![\"Suze](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/4d98b7f65abcef60ae686dcc1587799c.jpeg\")
Suze Orman <\/p>\n Suze Orman <\/p>\n
When markets get scary, the instinct to protect yourself by selling can feel like a smart move. However, it isn\u2019t, and Suze Orman wants to make sure you know that.<\/p>\n
Global oil prices have been on a volatile ride since the U.S.\u2013Iran conflict began on February 28. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil prices surged more than 50% (1) since the start of hostilities, sending shockwaves through financial markets worldwide \u2014 including in Canada, where energy stocks make up a significant portion of the S&P\/TSX Composite Index.<\/p>\n
Following the announcement of a two-week ceasefire on April 8, global oil prices briefly dipped below US$100 (2) (C$139) a barrel before rising above that benchmark again days later, when negotiations between Iran and the U.S. broke down.<\/p>\n
As of May 25, The Wall Street Journal (3) reported that \u201cThe prospect of a possible peace deal with Iran sent oil prices falling and stock gauges around the world climbing Monday. The most actively-traded Brent crude oil futures slid (4) roughly 5% to about $95 a barrel, the lowest since mid-April. That helped pull European bond yields lower as inflation worries cooled.\u201d<\/p>\n
This was also felt in Canada, where, according to Yahoo (5), the nation\u2019s \u201cmain stock index was up more than 300 points while the price of oil fell in late-morning trading on hopes that U.S. and Iran could be nearing a deal to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.\u201d<\/p>\n
But the volatility hasn\u2019t let up \u2014 and for investors, the temptation to cut losses has rarely been stronger.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s where Orman steps in.<\/p>\n
\u2018I\u2019ve learned that lesson the hard way\u2019 <\/p>\n
In a conversation with markets expert Keith Fitz-Gerald (6) on her YouTube channel, Orman made a direct appeal to investors feeling panicked: stay the course.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody who thinks they\u2019re being smart by stepping out right now is going to get left behind,\u201d Fitz-Gerald told Orman. \u201cI\u2019ve learned that lesson the hard way. I thought I was being smart, I bailed out, I made mistakes, I lost money.\u201d<\/p>\n
To illustrate why this moment is not the time to sell, Fitz-Gerald reached back two decades.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the early 2000s, Amazon lost 97% of its value,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s incomprehensible to people today, they simply forget their history. We\u2019re going to get through this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Orman agreed: investors who hold through turbulent periods are the ones who benefit from the eventual rebound. Selling at the bottom \u2014 or near it \u2014 locks in losses and leaves you on the sideline when prices recover.<\/p>\n
Tired of high commissions eating your returns? Compare Canada\u2019s top discount brokerages<\/a> and switch to a $0-commission platform today.<\/p>\n Story Continues <\/p>\n Stay the course during turbulent times <\/p>\n The concern isn\u2019t only oil. JPMorgan Chase\u2019s CEO Jamie Dimon recently warned (7) that a 2026 recession could be looming, citing both the conflict in the Middle East and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence as potential economic disruptors.<\/p>\n In his 2026 annual letter to shareholders (8), Dimon wrote that the economy faces \u201cthe potential for significant ongoing oil and commodity price shocks, along with the reshaping of global supply chains, which may lead to stickier inflation and ultimately higher interest rates than markets currently expect.\u201d<\/p>\n For Canadian investors, those words carry significant weight. Canada is one of the world\u2019s top oil producers, and commodity price swings ripple through the economy \u2014 affecting everything from the loonie to the TSX. When global markets panic, Canadian markets tend to follow.<\/p>\n But as Orman and Fitz-Gerald point out, panic is rarely a profitable investment strategy.<\/p>\n Historically, recessions \u2014 even severe ones \u2014 are temporary. The Bank of Canada notes that (9) Canada has experienced several recessionary periods since the Second World War, with most lasting between two to five quarters. The 2008\u201309 financial crisis (10), one of the deepest in modern history, saw the Canadian economy recover within roughly 12 months of its trough.<\/p>\n The same principle applies to market performance. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, the S&P\/TSX Composite Index fell sharply (11) \u2014 losing more than 37% from its February peak to its March low. Yet by the end of 2020, the TSX had largely recovered those losses, and by mid-2021 it had surged to record highs (12).<\/p>\n \u201cInvestors who sell after the market has dropped substantially usually are setting themselves up to miss the future rally in asset prices,\u201d the National Bank of Canada writes (13).<\/p>\n The takeaway is the same whether you\u2019re watching the TSX or the S&P 500: Staying invested through turbulence has \u2014 historically \u2014 been the better path.<\/p>\n Read more: 3 essential money moves to make once you\u2019ve saved $50,000<\/a><\/p>\n What Canadians can do right now <\/p>\n If you\u2019re feeling uneasy about your portfolio, that\u2019s understandable. But before making any moves, consider these steps:<\/p>\n Review your asset allocation, not your returns. Volatile markets have a way of revealing whether your portfolio is actually built for your risk tolerance. If watching the TSX drop keeps you up at night, it may be time to revisit how your investments are structured \u2014 not sell everything, but reassess the mix.<\/p>\n Think twice before selling inside your RRSP or TFSA. Your Registered Retirement Savings Plan<\/a> (RRSP) and Tax-Free Savings Account<\/a> (TFSA) are designed for long-term growth. Selling investments inside these accounts during a downturn doesn\u2019t trigger capital gains tax \u2014 but it does lock in your losses. Re-contributing to a TFSA after a withdrawal only restores room on January 1 of the following year, meaning you may miss the recovery window.<\/p>\n Consider a TFSA for new contributions during downturns. If you have available TFSA contribution room, a market dip can actually be an opportunity to buy quality investments at lower prices \u2014 and have any future gains grow completely tax-free.<\/p>\n Avoid making emotional decisions with your RRSP. RRSP withdrawals are treated as taxable income in the year they\u2019re taken. Withdrawing during a panic not only locks in losses, it could push you into a higher tax bracket.<\/p>\n Check in with a financial adviser \u2014 not social media. It\u2019s tempting to follow what others are doing during a market downturn. A licensed financial adviser can help you stress-test your plan and make sure your strategy still makes sense for your goals, timeline and risk tolerance.<\/p>\n \u2014 with files from Melanie Huddart<\/p>\n What To Read Next <\/p>\n Join 19,000+ readers and get Money.ca\u2019s best stories and exclusive interviews first \u2014 clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.<\/a><\/p>\n Article Sources <\/p>\n We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines<\/a>.<\/p>\n Trading Economics (1)<\/a>; Reuters (2)<\/a>; The Wall Street Journal (3)<\/a>, (4)<\/a>; Yahoo Finance (5)<\/a>; YouTube (6)<\/a>; Morningstar (7)<\/a>; JPMorgan Chase (8)<\/a>; Bank of Canada (9)<\/a>; C.D. Howe Institute (10)<\/a>; Bank of Canada (11)<\/a>; Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (12)<\/a>; National Bank of Canada (13)<\/a><\/p>\n This article originally appeared on Money.ca<\/a> under the title: Suze Orman\u2019s warning for Canadian investors: Don\u2019t panic-sell your stocks right now<\/a><\/p>\n This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Suze Orman When markets get scary, the instinct to protect yourself by selling can feel like a smart…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":69290,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[693,17,814,10771,813,1209,10235,28824,12464],"class_list":["post-69289","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-canada","tag-bank-of-canada","tag-canada","tag-canadian-investors","tag-financial-markets","tag-global-markets","tag-oil-prices","tag-suze-orman","tag-the-wall-street-journal","tag-west-texas-intermediate"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69289","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69289"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69289\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69289"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69289"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69289"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}