But I want to challenge that thinking. The market going up or down isn’t the full story. What matters is relative performance—how your decisions stack up against the S&P 500. You always have the option of owning the S&P. So if your portfolio underperforms it, you’re effectively losing money, regardless of whether the number goes up.

This mindset shift is powerful.

The best version of the Stars model has delivered returns 19 percentage points higher per year than the S&P.

Many investors panic during a portfolio drawdown, labeling it as a loss. But a drawdown is not a loss—unless you sell. Long-term investors should embrace volatility. Market corrections are your opportunity to buy low when rebalancing—one of the key drivers of the Stars model’s long-term outperformance.

Profit and loss aren’t just numbers—they’re perspectives.

Shift yours, and your financial future might just follow.