How much uncertainty you can live with? Do you prefer to sit back & watch the stock ticker? Asking yourself these kinds of questions will help better determine your portfolio risk tolerance.

Market fluctuations can be an emotional roller coaster ride for many. Overcoming your “highs” and “lows” is certainly not easy but by developing a stable longer-term plan, you too can weather those knee-jerk reactions to buy and sell.

You may be tempted to panic or sell when the stock market is down. However, with a wise strategy you may want to reconsider saying the course. Here's why.