Should I shift my investments to cash when everyone's predicting a recession?

Usually no, and here's why: by the time a recession is widely predicted, markets have often already priced in much of the bad news, and stocks frequently bottom and start recovering before the recession officially ends. Selling to cash on recession fears typically means locking in losses and then missing the early, powerful rebound while you wait for an 'all clear' that never rings.

Recession forecasts are also famously unreliable, economists have predicted many downturns that never came. What you can control is preparation, not prediction: keep an emergency fund so you're not forced to sell, ensure your allocation matches your real risk tolerance, and keep investing on schedule. If recession headlines are making you consider big moves, that's a sign your allocation may be too aggressive. Fix the allocation calmly rather than making an all-or-nothing bet on a forecast.