And while you may choose to alter your plans or your investment strategy, the important thing is to keep saving. "You really should be maxing out whatever retirement plan you have at work because you're going to need it with this crazy economy," says Karen Altfest, a Certified Financial Planner and vice president of L.J. Altfest & Co., a New York-based fee-only financial planning firm.
"Pay attention to it," says Ric Edelman, author of "The Lies about Money." "Retirement," he says, "will be here before you know it."
Drew Tignanelli, president of the Financial Consulate, a Maryland-based planning firm, agrees. "Unless you believe the world's coming to an end, you should keep putting it away," says Tignanelli, a CFP and CPA.
That doesn't mean closing your ears to what's going on or reacting to every bit of "breaking" news you hear. "Getting scared sets the tone to make mistakes," he says. Instead, it's a good time to sit with a neutral professional (one who doesn't make a cut from moving your money around or selling certain products) and hammer out your best long-range strategy.
"There are unique periods of time where you need more active management," he says. "This is one of them."
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