Mad Money

Cramer: Forget it! You can't fight the Fed

Cramer: Don't fight the Fed
VIDEO8:0008:00
Cramer: Don't fight the Fed

Jim Cramer sees the market in uncharted territory these days. We have never had interest rates stay so low for so long, and it has now become common knowledge that they will be going up soon. Such a hike will have real consequences to the economy and market.

"They are two very different animals, despite what you might hear from many different commentators," the "Mad Money" host said.

In Cramer's opinion, those who think that it is bad for the market to go down when job growth is strong do not have a clear understanding on how the Fed works long term. It is good news when more people have jobs, the country is wealthier and the economy is strong.

But not everyone agrees with Cramer, so he decided to review their argument and why he thinks they are wrong. Many think the market has rallied so long because there is easy money floating around because the Fed has propped it up.

The people who think this have four misconceptions, according to Cramer:





Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen speaks during a news conference following a Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting in Washington, June 17, 2015.
Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images

First, they think that stocks are up right now because they are just vehicles that are being used for income and thus they will lose this status if rates go up. However, Cramer does not agree with that point of view unless there have been several rate increases already because a stock that yields even 3 percent is still more attractive versus bonds.

The second is the economy will fall apart as soon as rates increase because it is too weak to handle even the slightest move. Yet, Cramer has seen the economy experience whole quarters with dramatically lower growth.

The third misconception pertains to the critics who think that any time rates go up, the dollar will get stronger and exporters will be hurt by the translation of the dollar and overseas competition. While both of these issues do have a degree of truth to them, but Cramer warned not to get spooked and sell stocks too early when the Fed tightens because that could damage your portfolio too.

Ultimately rates are so low now that Cramer thinks the country would need to see significant increases in rates before there is a genuine impact to the growth of business.

"I don't think you have to sweat these increases. However, that, again is not enough to assuage those who think the Fed will go on autopilot and raise and raise without being data dependent," Cramer added. (Tweet This)

Cramer does have some real concerns about the impact of higher rates on the , though. He is concerned higher short-term rates will turn the U.S. into a magnet for money around the world. He fears the dollar will be so high that the exporters could really get hurt

Most importantly, Cramer does not want investors to think that when the Fed is raising rates it is a better time for the stock market than when rates are being cut. The best course of action in his opinion is not to fight the Fed.

When Cramer says "don't fight the Fed," he means even when the Fed is cutting rates, investors still have a tailwind on their back. And if you are too negative, then you could lose money in the market too.

----------------------------------------------------------
Read more from Mad Money with Jim Cramer
Cramer Remix: Oil stocks in the house of pain
Cramer: Hot money's bad bite on Apple & China
Cramer: A massive mistake to sell Facebook now
----------------------------------------------------------

Looking back, Cramer saw that those who fought the Fed in the past or have doubted what the Fed was doing always lost. When you sell everything, there will always be buyers to swarm in and buy on every dip in the market. (Tweet This)

"While I do not expect many of the more disastrous scenarios to pan out, I do know that the Fed is now the enemy of higher stock prices and it can be a powerful enemy if it doesn't watch how fast it raises rates," Cramer said.

Questions for Cramer?
Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBC

Want to take a deep dive into Cramer's world? Hit him up!
Mad Money Twitter - Jim Cramer Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - Vine - YouTube

Questions, comments, suggestions for the "Mad Money" website? madcap@cnbc.com