RALEIGH, N.C. -- We've spent months enjoying a bull market with stocks and 401ks rising to high levels. But as history has shown us, the market can be wobbly as we recently saw with the Dow Jones Industrial average taking an 832 point decline, the worst since February of this year.

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This left many of us surprised, although experts say we shouldn't be. Investment Advisor and president of LifePlan Group, Alex Sutherland, told Spectrum News that a correction like this is normal. October is a month that is often known for major market sell-off’s, and he does say this has been a pretty brutal month for investors so far.  But Sutherland says unless you’re retiring every soon, it’s no time to react, and reminds us investing is a marathon not a sprint.

So why the up and downs this month you might ask?  Well Sutherland says there are concerns about rising interest rates, and investors are moving away from technology stocks, creating waves on Wall Street.  Big companies like Amazon, Netflix, Facebook and Apple are seeing their shares decline as investors feel “over-hedged” and are worried of more pain in the future.

Sutherland says with the recent interest rate hike, investors are concerned about how higher borrowing costs on company earnings and consumer spending will impact investors.  This has caused many investors to get rid of their shares.  He says the rising interest rates could slow the economy down because the cost of borrowing would then go up, eating into corporate profits.  This is something Wall Street never likes.

Still, many of us are left starting at our shares and 401k’s anxious to run for the hills.  But Sutherland says don’t let your emotions get the best of you.  Fear and greed are often driving forces behind a lot of investors’ decisions, and oftentimes when the market takes a dive, they rush to pull out of their investments.  But then when the market starts rising again, they want to buy in.  He says buying high and selling low are both big mistakes.

Sutherland says investments should be diversified and be appropriate for your age and retirement date.  He says a great guideline to follow is “Rule of 100”, where you subtract your age from 100, and that’s how much of your portfolio you should invest in stocks.  That meas if you’re 40, you should have 60% of investments in stocks and the other 30% in lower-risk investments.  But he says the best thing you can do is consider working with a financial professional who can help you make sure your portfolio is best for your life situation.

Sutherland says it’s important to remember your 401k will fluctuate with the market’s ups and downs.  So now is a good time to get familiar with your account, but that doesn’t mean you need to take action.  Think long-term when making major investment changes in asset allocation.  And remember just because stocks are performing poorly right now, that doesn’t mean you should run and make an adjustment.

For more information from Alex Sutherland, visit LifePlan Group’s website.