Having an honest friend or colleague proven to be pragmatic about investments does a lot to smooth fear and speculative behavior. If one wants to speculate, they need to build in a hedge to at least break even. Most people who think the market is intended for reckless speculation are terrified of a vast conspiracy that will gobble up their money without warning. That's never happened. There is a warning to the wise and ways to invest that protects funds. LOL, unless it's given to someone like Bernie Madoff. It's always proven safe to set and forget it, even through a recession.