Why October Might Murder Your Portfolio (And How to Dodge the Knife)

October. The month when the leaves fall — and so do the markets.

Some of the nastiest market crashes in history decided to show up fashionably late in the year:

• 1929: Great Depression says hello
• 1987: Black Monday, aka “Oops, 22% gone in a day”
• 2008: That time when “subprime” became a lifestyle

Why October? No one really knows. Maybe markets just get spooky. Maybe it’s a coincidence. Maybe it’s the pumpkin spice.

So, is October cursed?

Nah. But it is jumpy.

Volatility spikes, traders freak out, algorithms go brrrr, and everyone stares at CNBC like it’s the Oracle of Delphi.

Historically, September is worse on average.

But October has the drama.

What you can do (besides panic)

Here’s how to survive October without crying into your trading journal:

• Track global market openings — don’t get burned by timezone fails.
• Know the overlap hours — like London + New York = chaos.
• Watch earnings season — CEOs say things, stocks go bungee jumping.
• Use our damn site — it’s literally built for this.

Final thought (before you refresh your portfolio again)

October might not be evil. But it’s definitely not your friend.

If you’re going to dance with the devil this month, at least know when the dance floor opens.

You bring the trades.

We’ll bring the clocks.