Personal Finance

Investment Lessons From August's Market Mayhem

September could still be the cruelest month. Here's what you should be thinking

The New York Stock Exchange

Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg
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September is the worst month for markets, historically, though compared with this August's turmoil, an average 1.1 percent drop in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index1441210609713 seems tame.

In case the past month's volatility was just a warm-up, you might want to reflect on the power of some basics the tumult brought to light. You could think of them as investing mantras for volatile markets.