Market volatility is back in the headlines, and if you've noticed your pension balance moving up and down, you're not alone. From tariffs to geopolitical tensions, there's no shortage of reasons to feel uneasy. But before you rush to make any changes, it's worth understanding how volatility actually works and why, more often than not, staying put is the smartest move.

Join our host, Philippa Lamb, and VP Personal Finance at PensionBee, Maike Currie as they discuss:

• what market volatility is and what drives it;
• why pension pots are more resilient than you might think, and how quickly markets have historically recovered;
• why keeping up contributions during a downturn can actually work in your favour; and
• how to check whether you're in the right plan for your life stage.

Episode breakdown

00:49 What's market volatility?

03:21 How far can a pension balance fall?

05:25 The investor upside of a market downturn

08:32 How quickly can markets recover?

09:55 Pension plans for different life stages

Further reading and listening

To learn more about investing and stock markets, check out these articles and podcasts from PensionBee:

• Bonus episode: How much can you contribute into your pension each year? (Podcast)
• E39: Trump, tariffs and what it all means for your pension (Podcast)
• Markets and tariffs: what's going on and what it means (Blog)
• Switching plans in volatile markets: what to know (Blog)
• The power of regular contributions in volatile markets (Blog)
• Understanding market volatility and pensions (Blog)
• What is the stock market? (Article)

Other useful resources

• Bull and bear markets explained (Investopedia)
• Fed History Overview (Federal Reserve History)
• Our pension plans (PensionBee)

Catch up on the latest news, read our transcripts or watch on YouTube:

• The Pension Confident Podcast
• The Pension Confident Podcast on YouTube

Follow PensionBee (@PensionBee) on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Threads.

Enjoying the podcast? Tell us what you think below and give us a review or rating. As always we'd love to hear your suggestions and feedback. Send us an email: podcast@pensionbee.com.