You’re right; the market is volatile. It’s not a volatile as some things, but you have to remember that anywhere there’s money to be made—including long-term investing—there are ups and downs.

For instance, I like real estate. It’s not as volatile as the stock market, but there are no guarantees. We experienced that big dip over the last few years, and it was probably one of largest dips ever in the real estate market, except for the Great Depression.

Aside from real estate, I also like mutual funds. When it comes to these, one way to smooth out the volatility of the market is through diversification. That means you spread your money around instead of investing in one or two things. That’s how I handle my mutual funds, and I recommend others do the same. Spread your investments across these four types of mutual funds: growth, growth and income, aggressive growth and international.

There are no guarantees when it comes to long-term investing. But diversification can help make the ride a little bit smoother!