Suze Orman sounds off on caller's IRA plans — here's what you need to know for your nest egg

Mon, Sep 8, 2025, 6:49 AM 8 min read

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Suze Orman’s not known to sugarcoat her advice — And her response to a listener’s question on an episode of her Women & Money podcast was no exception.

Jane, who called into the show, shared her plan to sell her IRA investments while the market was high, only to then buy back in once prices eventually drop.

Orman’s reaction? “The worst idea I’ve ever heard.”

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She warned against the pitfalls of trying to time the market, emphasizing that there’s a chance the market may never drop. Plus, in trying to predict if and when that happens, Jane could miss out on huge gains in the meantime.

However, Orman didn’t leave Jane hanging. She gave listeners some alternatives that could help buffer against market volatility — here are a few key takeaways that could apply to you.

Her first tip was that Jane should apply ‘dollar cost averaging’ (DCA) to her existing investments. In a nutshell, Jane should continue to invest a fixed amount at regular intervals. This strategy would allow her to buy investments at various price points, ultimately lowering her average cost over time.

Research supports this strategy: a 2023 Vanguard report found that while lump sum investing (or, investing in one big chunk) outperforms DCA 68% of the time, DCA outperforms holding cash 69% of the time. By sticking with DCA, Jane can avoid the pitfalls of exiting the market and missing potential growth.

If you like the DCA approach, you’ll be glad to know that with Acorns, you’re automatically using DCA every time you spend.

It’s simple: when you make a purchase on your credit or debit card, Acorns will automatically round up the price to the nearest dollar and place the excess in a smart investment portfolio for you. This way, even the most essential spending translates to money saved for the future.

You can also customize how you save and invest with Acorns plan tiers.

For example, with the Acorns Gold plan, you get access to Acorns Later, which is a retirement account designed to boost your savings for your sunset years. What’s more, you get a 3% IRA match on new contributions through Acorns Gold. You can also opt for the Acorns Silver plan, which provides a 1% IRA match on new contributions.