The shock associated with opening an investment statement and seeing that the value of your portfolio has dropped more than expected. Statement shock most commonly occurs as a result of an unexpected drop in value, but it can also be caused by lower-than-expected returns.

Statement shock is most likely to occur following large downturns in the market. Many investors will contribute to an investment fund and receive statements in the mail on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. The average investor usually does not follow the day-to-day fluctuations of his or her portfolio and therefore will be shocked to see a large change in value from one statement to the next.