The market volatility may be leading retail investors astray.

According to Kathmere Capital Management’s Nick Ryder, they shouldn’t use the current backdrop as an excuse to dive into defensive trades — including dividend-paying stocks and bonds.

“Oftentimes, we just see too often people taking an income-focused approach, and it leaves a lot on the table,” the firm’s chief investment officer told CNBC’s “ETF Edge” this week. “We generally just advise for all of our clients to take a total return-oriented approach … that’s going to apply across stocks, bonds and everything in between within a portfolio.”

Ryder, whose firm has $3.5 billion in assets under management, warns against so-called “yield-chasing.”

“Within fixed income, it could…