[sunny]

...down and even banks are closing due to mortgage and credit crisi

[Stupid Should Hurt]

Pay off personal debt, save your money, make smart investments in solid companies, diversify investments, and ride it out. When the market is down, it is your chance to buy more stock for your money. Think about those who invested in stock during the Great Depression.

[zaofreak_83]

Taking a long-term view requires patience. Patience in the stock market can have its rewards. In spite of wars, depression, economic crises, political change, and environmental disasters during the preceding 80 years, the U.S. stock market has marched steadily upward. During almost any three-year given period, however, the market will have registered daily highs and lows that may have thrilled, or alarmed, investors at the time. There's a universally accepted rule that the longer you hold stock investments, the more likely you are to reap positive results. Historical returns show that there is a 74% chance of positive returns for a one-year investing period, 97% for a 10-year period, and 100% for a 20-year period.