The financial headlines have been particularly dramatic lately, filled with doom and gloom about market downturns and potential crashes. Opening my favourite news apps each morning feels like stepping into an anxiety-inducing echo chamber of market pessimism. But let’s take a deep breath and look at what’s really happening.

My balanced portfolio is down about 2% - hardly the bloodbath some are describing. Year to date, international shares are still up by 10-11%, and Australian shares have delivered a modest 4% gain since July. These aren’t numbers that should be keeping anyone awake at night.