Investors seeing financial upturn, GuideStone says

DALLAS — Despite turbulent financial markets in 2008 and early 2009, steady investing and an improving market have yielded significant gains to average account balances in GuideStone Financial Resources’ 403(b) retirement plans from the markets’ lows in March until the end of November, GuideStone Chief Operating Officer John R. Jones noted in a statement Dec. 14.

Although markets remain down about 25 percent from the highs of late 2007, 403(b) assets as a whole began to experience notable growth from the recent upswing in the stock market, he said. GuideStone participants saw average account balances grow more than 40 percent from March 9 through November, Jones said.

Investors who maintained their asset allocation and continued making regular contributions during the recent downturn were able to capitalize during market low points by purchasing shares at decreased prices, he said.

Consequently, as the market conditions improved and the shares increased in value, investors witnessed substantial growth in their accounts — an investment technique commonly referred to as “dollar cost averaging.”