13 Smart Retirement Moves in 2009

If what doesn't kill you really does make you stronger, then retirement investors will rule the roost in 2009.

While the financial world crashed and burned in 2008, there was hardly a moment to pause and ask, "OK, but what can we learn from this?"

Now as consumers take a breather, pop the corks and usher in 2009, it's a great time to reflect on how those costs came with a few lessons. Here is what Bankrate learned.

1. Exhale
"It sounds like a cliché, but take a deep breath," says Chris Farrell, author of "Right on the Money! Taking Control of Your Personal Finances."

"There's a lot of fear," he says. "It's clear we're in a recession. And, particularly for people in retirement, it's disconcerting to realize how much of your savings has vaporized."

For younger workers, "it's probably the first time they've seen something like this," says Greg Daugherty, executive editor of Consumer Reports.

"But that money has vaporized only on paper, unless you've cashed in," he says. "Unless you have to do something -- and some people do -- if you have time to ride it out, you'll do just fine."

Smart money always avoids the extremes. "The worst thing you can do is cash out in a panic or arrive at retirement unprepared with everything in stocks," says Jill Gianola, a Certified Financial Planner and author of "The Young Couple's Guide to Growing Rich Together."