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Short-term turbulence in the stock market can be enough to make novice investors nauseous, but veterans like Warren Buffett remain unfazed.
During his May 2025 meeting with Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, the 94-year-old Oracle of Omaha downplayed the market’s volatility.
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“What’s happened in the last 30, 45 days, 100 days, whatever you want to call it, it’s really nothing,” he said.
Here’s why the world’s most famous investor is unconcerned by swings in the stock market, even as he gears up for his own planned retirement at the end of the year.
Berkshire has lost 50% of its value before
Headlines can convince some investors that markets are ablaze. For Buffett they’re often just a bump in the road to long-term gains. After all, the Oracle has been actively investing in stocks since 1941, when he was 11 years old, giving him much more historical context than the average investor.
Now, after over eight decades of picking stocks amid these swings, nothing fazes him. Buffett insists young investors with limited experience should have a similar attitude.
“If it makes a difference to you whether your stocks are down 15% or not, you need to get a somewhat different investment philosophy,” he recommended in his annual shareholder update.
If you fall into that camp of investors who worry about upcoming market swings, here’s how you can prepare to weather the storm like Buffett does.
Shock-proofing your portfolio
First and foremost, remember that market crashes and volatility are inevitable. That’s why sophisticated investors like Buffett structure their portfolios to sail through turbulence.
For instance, Berkshire’s assets tend to be well-diversified. According to their latest 13-F filing, they had 36 holdings in their publicly traded portfolio with the largest position being Apple, at about 26% of the total value.
To diversify your investments, you might add different asset classes to your portfolio. After all, targeting investments that aren’t as heavily impacted by stock market shifts can give your portfolio some protection during market downturns.
Invest in precious metals
One option is investing in precious metals like gold and silver, which can sometimes be used to hedge against inflation.
For example, gold surged past $3,000 per ounce in March of 2025 and quickly recovered following President Donald Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs in early April, surpassing earlier highs. If current trends continue the yellow metal could soar past $4,000 per ounce by the second quarter of 2026, according to JPMorgan. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 has only recently edged closer to pre-tariff highs as gold continues to climb.
One way to invest in precious metals while reaping the tax advantages of an IRA is with an American Hartford Gold account.
Often, you can roll your existing 401(k) or IRA accounts into a gold IRA without tax-related penalties. To learn more, check out a free 2025 information guide on how to make the most out of investing in precious metals.
Qualifying purchases with American Hartford Gold can also receive up to $20,000 in free silver.
Consider real estate
You might also choose to invest in real estate. Commercial real estate can offer higher potential returns than residential real estate, thanks to longer lease terms, higher rental rates and potential for greater appreciation. But direct access to the $22.5 trillion commercial real estate sector has been limited to a select group of elite investors — until now.
First National Realty Partners (FNRP) allows accredited investors to diversify their portfolio through grocery-anchored commercial properties, without taking on the responsibilities of being a landlord.
With a minimum investment of $50,000, investors can own a share of properties leased by national brands like Whole Foods, Kroger and Walmart, which provide essential goods to their communities. Thanks to triple net leases, accredited investors can invest in these properties without worrying about tenant costs cutting into their potential returns.
Simply answer a few questions – including how much you would like to invest – to start browsing their full list of available properties.
Investing in art
Then there’s art. High net worth individuals surveyed by UBS said they think art is a relatively safe investment compared to other traditional assets like stocks.
Masterworks understands the power of art investing. Their platform has given over one million users the opportunity to invest in art, including pieces from Banksy, Basquiat and Picasso.
From their 23 exits so far, Masterworks investors have realized representative annualized net returns like +17.6%, +17.8% and +21.5% among assets held for longer than one year. To see if you qualify, you can find out more about investing with Masterworks here.
See important Regulation A disclosures at Masterworks.com/cd.
Cash is king
Lastly, Buffett always keeps a healthy pile of cash on hand to buy stocks at a discount when crashes occur.
With Wealthfront Cash, you can save for your future in a high-yield cash account. Unlike traditional savings accounts, high-yield accounts can have up to 10 times the national APY — with Wealthfront clocking in at 4.00%.
Even better, if you fund your account with $500 or more you get a $30 bonus with Wealthfront Cash.
By simply diversifying your portfolio and keeping some cash on hand, you could be in a position to not just sail through market volatility but actually benefit from it. In other words, you can be greedy when others are truly fearful.
Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
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