Have I made an investing mistake? Ask Susan

I am a single, mid-30s female. About a month-and-a-half ago, I started a new permanent job with a significant pay cut.I also invested a significant amount (about 30 percent) of my life savings ($200,000-plus) in managed funds, with about 50 percent in balanced, 25 percent in growth and 25 percent in global share funds (high risk). I felt like I had done my research when taking out these investments and that I wouldn't need access to the funds within the next three years.I had been planning to transfer more money into these investments each payday, but since opening these investments, the value has now dropped. This is causing me a lot of anxiety and fear that I might lose a lot of money that I worked hard for, and can't afford to lose.Added to this is the large component tech stocks have in the US share markets, and political and global economic uncertainty.I have stopped contributing to my investment funds and am too scared to look at the balances. I know that you cannot time the market - it's about time in the market.I feel like I overestimated my risk appetite, but I also know that it's too late to change my funds to lower risk funds, as I would be realising a loss. Plus, if you are going to change the fund type, you should only do it once.I also have KiwiSaver, which is high growth. I have seen the balance of this fluctuate over time (eg during Covid and with the recent oil crisis), but this hasn't caused me the anxiety and fear like my new investment funds have.Are you able to please provide any advice or reassurance (or otherwise!) for my situation? I thought I might restart my contributions or take out some short term PIEs, after the OCR announcement, and elections here and the US, but I am feeling anxious that I will make another poor decision.I don't think you've made as poor a decision as you think you have. Everything you've done actually looks fine to me and it sounds like you just need to keep going.Koura founder Rupert Carlyon agrees with me and says you seem quite switched on, although you are suffering normal anxieties."She has done her risk assessment properly and has made it clear that she will not be taking any money out for at least three years, which is good."One thing worth thinking about is whether she will be withdrawing everything in three years or only a part of it. If it is all in three years, then she might want to think about whether the global share allocation is appropriate."Over the next few years, she can expect some material ups and downs. She has already been through this with her KiwiSaver and her managed funds will not be different at all."If she is truly invested for the long term - longer than the three years, in my view - she might want to take advantage of the falling prices and invest in the markets while they are down."Carlyon is correct that, if you are investing when prices are down, you have an opportunity to benefit from the recovery, when it comes. Provided your strategy is still appropriate for your goals and risk profile, I would stick with your plans, if I were you.I am in my 80s. I have no living relatives, so I sold my house and have been spending most of the money I received from the sale on things I couldn't afford before.I am now living comfortably in a flat. I have a reasonable amount left, after ticking off all the things on my 'bucket list'. What I'd like to know is whether or not I should donate to my favourite charities now, so I can see the good results, or leave the bequests until I die.Should I require rest home care in the future, can any monies I've donated be clawed back?I asked the Ministry of Social Development about this. General group manager of service delivery Shannon Soughtton said, when someone applied for the rest home subsidy, a range of factors were assessed, including income and assets."This assessment is complex and is done on a case-by-case basis, looking at the individual person or couple's circumstances. However, all donations, including to charities, are assessed under the gifting rules for residential care subsidy asset testing."We won't count up to $8500 of assets gifted each year in the last five years, from when the subsidy application is made. This is a total of $42,500 gifted in the last five years."In terms of gifted assets from longer than five years ago, we won't count up to $27,000 a year of assets that are gifted or donated."Everyone's situation is different and we strongly encourage people to get in touch with us, if they want to understand how donations may affect their eligibility for the residential care subsidy."Got questions? RNZ has a podcast, 'No Stupid Questions', with Susan Edmunds.We'd love to hear more of your questions about money and the economy. You can send through written questions, like these ones, but even better, you can drop us a voice memo to our email questions@rnz.co.nz.You can also sign up to RNZ's new money newsletter, 'Money with Susan Edmunds'.