It’s called diversification. If people would follow that simple rule instead of dumping every penny into the piece of crap stock they bought from a stranger over the phone, they would be ahead of the game instead of behind.
ding, ding, ding..........we have a winner, you need to see a professional planner, or take a class on investing. My local adult education people had a 6 week class on investing that I took before investing a dime...It does help to know a little about what you are doing with your future before you do it....our hit during this downturn is about 30%, but we are still way ahead over the long haul, and it is beginning to rise...this recession is just about a single percentage point worse than the dot com bubble...everything will be alright if you do not panic and just let the market take it’s course