Pauses are good.

That forced halt in stock-market activity on Monday, driven by coronavirus fears and a geopolitical fight over oil, happened in part to corral out-of-control algorithms and professional traders with wildly different goals from everyday investors like you.

But a break is helpful for the average investor, who has every reason to be scared by the goings-on.

So stop for a second, and take a deep breath. Then ask a question: Have your long-term goals changed today? If not, there is probably no reason for your investments to change either.

If you had stock investments in an account designated for a down payment on a home, a pending tuition bill or some other short-term goal, this is probably a painful moment. Hopefully, you can afford the losses, or maybe stocks will bounce back by the time you need the money.