Here's the thing.  1) The stock market will come back and be stronger than ever. This is money you aren't planning to touch for years anyways so there is no reason to worry. In the 2008 crash, people "lost" a shit ton. But the people who kept their money exactly where it was at saw huge gains far exceeding the levels they were at before hand. 2) If you are near retirement age or retired, you shouldn't have that much money directly in the market anyways. Long story short, this means nothing to most people.