Not much surprises me when it comes to the stock market.

I’ve been working with investors for over four decades. I have seen a bunch of stuff.

In 2009, the market ended up down 55%. Boys and girls, when you watch the nation’s wealth disappear at a -55% number is does have an effect.

I was lucky. I had some securities and investments which helped me to avoid a great deal of that.

Let’s pretend I lost 30%. That 30% is really a big number even if compared to those who lost 55%. As I remember, I only had three investors who did not listen to me and sold. I had faith in America, as I still do, and just figured that the markets would rebound.

The truth of the matter is that if you bought the Dow Jones Industrial Average 120 years ago, and you didn’t sell, it was impossible to lose money. Patience and quality can get you through most debacles.

I can tell you that my biggest job is hand-holding. When you see 30% or 40% of your money disappear, it is very difficult to remain rational. Rational is not in your dictionary. I become Mr. Rational.

Depending on the hour or minute you look, the market (as I write this on Thursday) is down about 16% after having been down 25%. Your investment accounts probably look better than they did in the middle of October.

Even though I have seen a bunch of stuff, this market is unlike any I have even seen. If I didn’t know better, I would assume this market would have gone down about 50% since 2020. As usual, I don’t have a clue. That is what I love about this business I am in. You just never know what is going to happen, and that is just fine with me. I like helping people, so I have a lot of fun.

Ok, Howie, what do you think I should do?

I tell everyone the same thing. Work hard, save your money and invest.

In my view nothing has changed. It’s likely, according to history, that if you do that, one of these days, you’ll have some bucks.

Most investors I know do not want to depend on Social Security or the government to take care of them. Social Security was never designed to be a retirement fund. It was supposed to supplement your retirement and not be your only retirement fund.

You must take care of yourself. It’s not easy, and it takes time, but most things worth having in life follow the same rules.

I know many many investors still sending in their money every month. A crappy stock market like this one has not deterred them. I like those people. They realize that at one point they were buying companies at a 25% discount.

There are not guarantees but we live in the best country in the world, and I have a feeling things are going to be just fine.

Take a look at what you own. If I would look at one of your statements and point at something on it and say, “What is that?” could you answer? If you don’t know what you own this is a problem.

Do you like and trust the person advising you? If not, that is another problem. You probably need someone to help you.

People, I have only met a handful of investors who could handle their own money. If you are emotionally involved with your money, that is another problem. People get emotional when it comes to their money.

People like me have ice water in their veins. In most instances, we can make the right decision because it is the right thing to do. It is not easy, but that is why people pay us.

It is not necessary that you are right, it just needs to be the right thing to do. I have told people, my son included, to always do the right thing. It’s an easier story to remember.

My friend Louie told my wife that a man is incomplete until he is married, after that he is finished. She does not think he is funny.

Howie Pentony is a client portfolio manager in Portersville.