Suze Orman sits on a chair onstage with her hands folded together, on the verge of speaking.
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The U.S.-Iran war has entered its seventh week, with no clear signs of peace on the horizon in spite of a fragile two-week ceasefire. The uncertainty of the war, paired with oil turmoil, has left many investors feeling frustrated and concerned about their money.
The U.S. stock market has been very volatile, moving up and down as news about the war changes. After posting five straight weeks of losses, the S&P 500 went on a two-week streak of gains in April, with both the Dow and Nasdaq following suit (1).
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Crude oil prices have been on a similar rollercoaster ride, plunging last week — thanks to peace talks between the U.S. and Iran — before surging back above $100 per barrel on April 13, 2026, following a breakdown in communication between the two nations (2).
All of this market volatility and its impact on oil will likely continue for the near term, if not longer.
In response to the volatile markets, Suze Orman recently sat down with markets expert Keith Fitz-Gerald to discuss the chaos. “Everything now is simply dependent on one thing and one thing only,” she told Fitz-Gerald (3). “And that is oil, in my opinion.”
Orman also reminded listeners that the fundamentals of stocks, including earnings and profitability, had been solid and strong until the war began. “Now we’re watching oil go up and up and up, and sometimes it comes back down, and when it comes back down, that’s when we see the markets go up.”
Orman and Fitz-Gerald then shared their perspective on how everyday investors can navigate the uncertainty.
Here’s what investors can do right now.
Stay with your investments for the long term
If you’re investing in stocks, watching them daily and then panicking in the chaos by selling or pulling out, you won’t see the long-term benefits.
Both Orman and Fitz-Gerald agree that when there is more certainty back in the market, we will see markets skyrocket again. Fitz-Gerald warns that “everybody who thinks they’re being smart by stepping out right now is going to get left behind.”
With oil prices driving market swings and geopolitical tensions escalating, staying the course is easier said than done. Especially when headlines and market swings make every decision feel urgent.
If you’re finding it hard to stay disciplined when markets get rocky, a financial advisor can help you cut through the noise, keep a long-term perspective and build a plan that actually holds up in volatile markets.
But hiring the right advisor is crucial.
That’s where Advisor.com can help. This online platform connects you with vetted experts near you for free, taking the guesswork out of finding someone you can trust.
Advisor.com does all the heavy lifting for you by screening advisors based on track record, client ratios and regulatory background. Its network also consists of fiduciaries, meaning they’re legally required to act in your best interests.
Just enter a few details about your goals, and Advisor.com’s AI-powered matching tool can connect you with a qualified expert who’s best-suited for your needs.
You can even set up a free initial consultation with no obligation to hire, so you can see if they’re the right fit for you.
Read More: 5 essential moves to make once you’ve saved $50,000
Choose stable stocks
Orman asks Fitz-Gerald for his advice on what to do if your tech stocks and others in the market are heading downward.
His advice? Continue to invest, but get more critical of where you put your money.
“If you’re freaked out because all of your tech has gone in one direction, you can balance that like a little kid’s teeter-totter on the playground with a stable stock like Chevron,” says Fitz-Gerald. He iterates that it has “dinosaur juice” that we will need for some time, along with great dividends and stability over time.
Another one he recommends is SGOV, which is an ETF that invests in short-term U.S. Treasury bills. He flags this as “super safe,” with a great yield that won’t go anywhere.
But in a market where oil prices and global conflict are driving performance, knowing which stocks actually offer that kind of stability can be a big challenge.
That’s where apps like Moby can help make sense of those shifts, offering expert market research and recommendations for strong, long-term investments backed by advice from former hedge fund analysts.
In four years, and across almost 400 stock picks, their recommendations have beaten the S&P 500 by almost 12% on average. They also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Moby’s team spends hundreds of hours sifting through financial news and data to provide you with stock and crypto reports delivered straight to you. Their research keeps you up-to-the-minute on market shifts and can help you reduce the guesswork behind choosing stocks and ETFs.
Plus, their reports are easy to understand for beginners, so that you can become a smarter investor in just five minutes.
Don’t be nervous to buy stocks at a high
The Chevron recommendation is one that Orman and Fitz-Gerald have discussed previously: buying a stock that was at a high, like Chevron.
When Orman shared this advice the last time, viewers were frustrated. However, both Orman and Fitz-Gerald still agree that it’s a mistake to be too nervous to buy a stock because the price per share is already high.
And in spite of viewers’ frustration, Chevron’s stock continued to climb even higher, so those who didn’t buy missed out on the gains.
In volatile markets like this, hesitation can mean missing opportunities entirely. That’s why having the right tools to act quickly without overcomplicating the process can make all the difference.
SoFi’s easy-to-use DIY investing platform lets you buy stocks, ETFs and more with no commission fees and no account minimums, making it easier to stay invested even during uncertain markets.
Designed for investors of all experience levels, SoFi offers real-time market news, curated insights and the data you need to make informed decisions when volatility creates buying opportunities.
Plus, for a limited time, you can get up to $1,000 in stock when you fund a new account.
Bottom line
All the news headlines, social media posts and commentary about the war can make the market feel like a scary place right now.
And both Orman and Fitz-Gerald agree that being nervous about your money and your investments makes sense. But they also encourage investors to keep their investments in perspective.
“Pick any stock you want … any of the stocks you own, and zoom out to 20 years and tell me that the chart doesn’t go high to low, low to high, over that time period,” says Fitz-Gerald.
Fitz-Gerald also says that when you feel this frustration, it can actually mean there is an opportunity for growth.
“I’ve learned that lesson the hard way. I thought I was being smart, I bailed out, I made mistakes, I lost money,” he told Orman. “But if you continue to lean in when you feel that way and you get uncomfortable, I’ve learned that’s a heck of a lot more profitable.”
— with files from Joanna Sinclair
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Article sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
CNBC (1); BBC (2); @SuzeOrman (3)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.