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I’d like to give a little bit of my experience. It’s an opinion.

Take it for what it’s worth.

I’ve set my Wayback Machine to October 19, 1987. The stock market is dropping and eventually sets a one-day record loss that is now referred to as, “Black Monday.”

I was working at my desk in my office. Still in my 20’s and had life by the short hairs.

I was also heavily invested in the stock market. Everybody on our floor had their computers connected to their own stock accounts, as we watched our losses mount.

Only one guy, Ray Machaud, our resident douchebag, suck-up to the owner, and snitch, went about his tasks seemingly unconcerned. Since I often told him then what he was, and considering he was in his 60s in 1987, I doubt he’ll have any complaints about how I describe him today.

Anyway, I knew he was taking losses like the rest of us.

I asked him why he wasn’t worried about the market melt-down.

“All of you are looking at paper losses and are scared. Until you sell they aren’t cash losses. You all need to relax. The market will recover. It always has and always will.”

As it turned out, the S.O.B. was right. I think it ended up recovering in a couple months, ending up higher than where it had been.

The rest of us succumbed to fear that day, selling off everything, and taking huge losses.

As much as I didn’t like the a-hole, he gave me good advice that I didn’t take. When it comes to the DOW, “What goes down, will eventually come up.”

Don’t look at tomorrow, next week, or even months ahead. Look at a year, or even two years ahead.

While the reason for the crash in 1987 is far different than the reason in 2020, you still have to look ahead and ask yourself questions.

Will airlines be flying at full capacity again? Will people be back to work? Will homes continue to be built and sold? Will banks again be giving mortgages?

Will life be back to normal?

Yes, it will.

And with the federal government providing bailout money for some of the hardest hit sectors, many of the corporations who have seen their stock prices drop like a rock will survive.

Ask yourself why corporate insiders are now on a buying frenzy of their own company stocks that are supposed to be in trouble.

Don’t liquidate your 401Ks, especially if you have years before you retire. If you are close to retiring, plan on another year or two of working.

If you happen to have some extra cash, or your job is essential, the next few weeks is the time to jump into the stock market, not out.

Companies with cash reserves to carry them for at least 3 months are the best to consider, as even these are being hit with the fear on Wall Street.

As for me, I’ve been waiting more than a decade for a crash like this to happen and I will be taking advantage of it.

I’ll be investing in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). While many analysts believe they will go bankrupt because rents and mortgages won’t be paid to these privately funded trusts, I think the Fed will do all it can to prevent another housing mortgage crisis it experienced in 2008.

Notice: Any and all discussion of a stock or investing should not be considered financial advice and is for entertainment purposes only. I often lose my car keys and forget where I parked my car. I am not a financial advisor. Do your own analysis before investing.