What's the most important quality an investor could have? Some people would say it's the ability to achieve the highest rates of return possible over the longest period of time possible. But those people are wrong.

It's the survival instinct - especially over the short term. Too many investors are so busy jumping in and out of stocks as trends and markets fluctuate that they end up with virtually no money left. What they should focus on instead is keeping their cash flow needs in steady and secure in retirement, thus buying enough time for long-term compounding to work its magic.

So how do you survive the short term volatility? Have a strategy. Podcast host Johnny Dean and Rick "The Professor" Plum, CFP® tell you all about how to do it on this week's episode of Managing Your Financial Future.