The stock market collapse of 1973/74 was one of the worst stock market downturns in modern history, while Black Monday in 1987 saw huge values being shed in a short period. The birth of the internet and e-commerce technologies in the 1990’s led eventually to the Dotcom bubble burst of 2000. In all cases, the markets recovered.

And while volatility, like the latest bout of turbulence, has always been a feature of markets across the globe, equities historically have always had the ability to deliver inflation beating returns. Indeed, history is firmly on the side of the wise investor who looks at the long term value of equities.

For those bold enough to take them, short term market volatility presents sound medium to long term investment opportunities – but be warned, this is no time for the inexperienced individual to be diving headlong into the markets thinking this is the moment to invest. Instead, it is the moment when individuals should be seeking specialist, reliable financial advice along with investment products and fund managers you can trust.

The world is so uncertain that no one can make decisions based on short-term conditions. No one knows if and when the market has reached its low point, and unless you believe you are likely to be lucky, the best advice is to remain invested over the medium to long term. Delaying investing when the market has fallen is a natural instinct, but experience shows that when a falling market turns, it tends to do so sharply.

Trying to enter and exit the market at the right time, therefore, is almost impossible, because not even the most experienced investment manager knows with any certainty when is the best time to invest in the market. Your time in the market is the most important aspect of investment, not timing the market. And in a medium to long term strategy, the only prices that matter are the ones you buy and sell at. However awful it all may look, try to ignore what is going on in between.

For many investors, regular saving as part of a long-term investment strategy offers a flexible, affordable solution. Some wealth should be kept liquid in a deposit account or somewhere that can easily be turned into cash without losing value, so that investors are not forced into cashing in investments during bad periods of market uncertainty like these.

Additionally, with all the short-term uncertainty, investors should always be thinking of diversifying, spreading capital over different types of investment with varying characteristics. Your money should be in the hands of different investment managers - and the best ones you can find - who will be selecting from a variety of countries, sectors and shares to spread your risk widely.

But remember, unless you really are a highly experienced investor, there is absolutely no substitute for professional wealth management advice from a specialist adviser who, even in difficult market conditions, will be focussed on the longer term objective of aiming to deliver superior returns for all investors.

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