Matthew Petrozelli, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer was published once again on Forbes.com as a contributor of the Forbes Finance Council.

The majority of Americans begin investing to reach a specific financial goal. This may be to assist with their children’s higher education expenses, pay for a wedding or fund their retirement. But in the 24-hour news and market volatility cycles, it is easy to get lost in the noise and focus on the short term. Many investors will use benchmarks, like the S&P 500 Index, to gauge portfolio performance. Using benchmarks may be appropriate to track specific investment allocations like large-cap stocks, but doing so can put unwarranted pressure on overall portfolio success.

Read the full article on Forbes.com: Build A Portfolio To Meet Goals, Not To Beat An Index

Forbes Finance Council, an invitation-only community for executives in accounting, financial planning, wealth and asset management and investment firms.