for someone who has timefram longer than 10 years, all this volatility is really a blessing.
yes, my stock portfolio is down 40%, like everybody else's, but my asset allocation rule automatically force me to invest new money into stocks since now they are only 25% of my total portfolio, instead of 40% last year.
and the more the market drops, the easier it is to recover, as long as you keep doing dollar cost averaging.
$100 invested at dow 14000, say it is now worth only $50 when dow is at 7000, now you only need to invest $50, to break even when it recovers half the drop to 10500....... and if you invest $100 at 7000, you'd be much ahead when it recovers half.
yesterday when SPY was at 87, people are paying me $4.5 to sell to me at $80 in November... if it indeed drops below $80, my cost would be $75.5 in November..... this is too juice not to take.
technically though, the price action is still bearish. the reaction from the October drop is too weak, and the consolidation over the past week looks like it's getting ready for another round of blood bath....
the key is, stay flexible, don't commit too much, don't use too much leverage.
who knows, SPY may indeed go to 50.. we just need to have some bullets remaining to fire at that level.