Interesting exchange Coach and gwr1. I definitely sympathize with Coach's feelings. There was a time when an investor could make a reasoned judgement about a company's potential by paying careful attention to the available information and then speculating on what the future might hold for the company's stock. When we see, to pick a random example, a stock like Suncor drop from the $60's to the $20's in a matter of weeks to the point where its market cap is below the replacement value of its physical assets we are justified in feeling that the investment world has spun out of control.

Coach is correct, I'm afraid, that small investors by the thousands will view this current debacle as reason to stay away from the stock market for a long time to come. Who can begin to understand the world of derivatives, hedge funds, ABCP, zero down payment mortgages etc.? If all of these sorts of things are affecting the value of Suncor how is an individual going to feel comfortable investing in the company?

Perhaps Obama will and his advisors will attempt to clean up the obvious unethical and illegal activities of the financial industry manipulators. He will have a chance when he first takes office but must strike quickly.

On the other hand, as gwr1 postulates, the world is going to continue to function, life will go on, the emerging economies will still want to grow and will need commodities to do so. My own protfolio has been decimated but, not having sold as things dropped, I have to hold on and hope for the best.

So cheer up Coach! Stay healthy, enjoy the good things in life and just hope, as I do, that gwr1 is right.