Financial News Fatigue -- Are You a Victim of This New Pandemic?

Tired of the depressing money story? The recession is about to become the longest on record since 1929-1933, and we're seven months into the financial crisis that claimed Lehman Brothers, AIG and Merrill Lynch. So it's perfectly understandable if you're suffering from Financial News Fatigue.
FNF's symptoms can vary, but often include:

Putting parental blocks on CNBC or Bloomberg
Breaking into hives upon hearing the word "TARP"
Rapid pulse and heartbeat -- your very own "stress test"!
A cold, clammy sweat that descends whenever you open an investment statement

FNF can put you into a deep paralysis that makes you incapable of dealing with your financial life. That's OK for a while -- but time is ticking, and Dr. Jill says it's time to wake up and take control.

You don't have to jump right back on the horse, of course. Don't feel you have to follow every minute of the trading day or seek immediate solutions for your rough-looking retirement plan. Heck, it took a long time for the global economy to get here, and it's going to take a while for the macroeconomic situation, as well as your personal finances, to improve.

The good news is that it's not such a bad day to come back into the water. April was the best month for the S&P 500 since March 2000 -- no comments from the peanut gallery about what happened after March 2000, OK? -- and U.S. stocks are a full 25 percent higher than their March 9 lows. That means that it won't be as scary to open your statements, at least for the next month. Also, the economic outlook is improving, so maybe we'll manage to avoid the second Great Depression after all.

I get FNF -- really. It's tough to hear so much bad news about one topic for so long. But it's time to gather your strength and overcome that fatigue. And I have a feeling that you're on your way, as otherwise you wouldn't be reading this post!

Jill Schlesinger

View all articles by Jill Schlesinger on CBS MoneyWatch »
Jill Schlesinger, CFP®, is the Emmy-nominated, Business Analyst for CBS News. She covers the economy, markets, investing and anything else with a dollar sign on TV, radio (including her nationally syndicated radio show), the web and her blog, "Jill on Money." Prior to her second career at CBS, Jill spent 14 years as the co-owner and Chief Investment Officer for an independent investment advisory firm. She began her career as a self-employed options trader on the Commodities Exchange of New York, following her graduation from Brown University.

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