There’s no perfect schedule for checking on your investments. Peeking too much could be stressful, but looking infrequently could mean you don’t notice your money straying from your plan. That’s why it’s important to check on a cadence that works best for you, whether it’s once a month or once a quarter.

It might not seem romantic, but scheduling dates with your portfolio could help keep your finances on track as you work toward your goals. So yes, actually note these times in your calendar so you don’t skip a date. On top of that regularly scheduled programming, it’s smart to check in with your money after a big life change that might affect your financial goals, like starting a new job or welcoming a child into your family.

Now that you’ve designated time to sit down with your investments, here’s your checklist of what to monitor.

1. Make sure your money still aligns with your preferences. There’s nothing wrong with your financial priorities shifting over time, but it’s crucial to check your investments are in line with today’s goals—and not yesterday’s. If all has stayed the same, great. If not, it might be time to make some adjustments. Even if your financial goals haven’t changed since the last time you checked, you might still have some work ahead of you. If the performance of your investments since your last check-in changed the percentage of your money invested in certain asset classes (like stocks, bonds, and short-term investments), you might want to rebalance your portfolio, aka change the portion of your money that’s invested in each asset type.

2. Monitor each investment’s performance. Next, take a magnifying glass to individual investments to see how each one is faring. Check whether they’re meeting your expectations or if it’s time to enact your exit plan. Ask yourself, “Does this investment still make sense for my investing strategy and financial goals?”

3. Look at your portfolio’s overall performance. Finally, check the performance of your whole portfolio. You need to know 2 things: whether your portfolio is on pace to meet your goals, and whether it has performed as well as other comparable investments (like indexes or its index benchmark) over a similar timeframe. If your portfolio has fallen short, you might want to rethink what you’re investing in.

A rebalancing game plan could look like this.

1. Revisit your original investing plan and target asset allocation. Hopefully when you started investing, you decided on a target asset allocation, or what percent of your total portfolio you want invested in different types of securities (like stocks and bonds) or left in cash. If you didn’t make that plan, now could be a good time to create an asset allocation strategy (or work with a pro to help you create one) that aligns with your financial goals.

2. Determine your portfolio's current asset allocation. This might take a bit of math, but see what percent of your total portfolio is represented in different investment types. This could be as high level as looking at how much money you have in stocks, bonds, and short-term investments, or it could be more specific to factor in how much stock you have in different sectors, different size companies, and different management styles (like actively managed vs. passive mutual funds). You could even look at the credit quality and/or duration of bonds you hold.

If you have a Fidelity account, this info is available in the Planning & Guidance Center, or the GPS analysis tab on portfolio summary.

3. Consider whether your past asset allocation fits your current financial goals and timeframe. How and when you want to use the money in your investments might change over time, so your asset allocation might need to too. Even if your goals haven’t changed, you might want to shake up how much you’re invested in different kinds of assets as you come closer to making a big money move. For example, if you’re 1 year out from buying a house, you might want to allocate more of your portfolio to more-secure investments, as you have less time to recover from a potential market drop before closing time.

4. Buy or sell investments to rebalance your portfolio. If your investment mix has drifted away from your target, you might want to get it back on track. But first ask yourself: How large of a drift are you willing to tolerate? For instance, maybe being 10% off your target allocation in any asset class would trigger action. In that case, you might choose to rebalance over time by regularly buying in asset classes currently underrepresented in your portfolio. Or you might want to sell some investments in an overrepresented asset class and use the money from those sales to buy underrepresented investments.

5. Set a time for you next portfolio check-in. Today’s work might be done, but make sure to set yourself up for the future by scheduling your next investment check-in. A reminder in your phone or on your calendar could help keep you, your money, and your financial goals on track.

Sounds like too much work? It could be. If you want to avoid rebalancing your own portfolio, consider investing options that do this for you, such as target date funds that rebalance your portfolio automatically.

Some days (or weeks) the market takes a hit. That doesn't mean it's time to panic. Investors call this "market volatility," and although it might feel stressful, it's a normal part of investing.

When the market dips, keep these 5 tips in mind.

1. Remember this isn't new. Over the past 150 years, US stocks have dipped at least 20% about every 6 years, with median losses of 33%.¹ And while market drops can be uncomfortable, history shows stocks have eventually recovered and in the long run delivered long-term gains.

2. Stick to your plan. Your mix of stocks, bonds, and other investments in your portfolio will help determine your potential returns but also how well you can weather market swings. Pick investments that align with your goals, investing timeframe, and financial situation. And keep in mind that things could—and probably will—get rocky at some point. Setting a strategy upfront could help you feel better while waiting out the bumpier times.

3. Don't try to time the market. It can be tempting to try selling out of stocks to avoid feeling the impact of market downturns. But it's hard to time it just right. If you sell when prices are down and are still on the sidelines during a recovery, it can be difficult to catch up. History has shown, during a recovering marketing, missing even a few of the best days in the market can significantly hurt your potential for investment gains.

4. Don't stop believing—or investing. Some of the best times to invest have been when things seemed the worst. Investing consistently through ups and downs helps you buy investments, such as stocks, when they're at their cheapest. Consider setting up automatic investments that align with your overall plan.

5. Get some help. Managing your investments doesn't need to be your full-time job. Whether you want a gut check on setting up your portfolio or would rather hand the reins over to someone who will manage it for you, you don't need to face the next crisis alone.