I imagine they have the inside scoop too.
You can bet your family's welfare on it. Recently, globally too, stocks were dumped, profits taken to cover losses on those neat new derivatives that the banks and brokers were left with.
The music stopped, they were holding the junk paper and didn't have a profit chair to sit in. Temporarily out of the game w/ respect to money.
Now, everyone (the big cats) have had their drinks, rounds of golf, dinner on a big yacht, a few gars (cigars), some rented eye candy and it's been agreed as to what the next shell game is going to be on the horizon.
As Americans, many are working like heck to build a retirement knowing that SS will only be available to illegals, the lazy or minorities in the future. However, we keep 'paying' in downturns in the form of stock losses in our 401k's, IRA's etc. The only saving point now being as the slide continues in the markets, those still left with money to buy can pick up undervalued stock with hopes of greater returns in the future if we are lucky.