I woke up this morning to CNBC and more negative earnings results, and thought back to my days as a financial advisor and venture capitalist. Its never been more difficult for the average person to invest in the stock market and don't look for that to change anytime soon. People are waking up to the reality of this economic crisis and wondering if they should get out, buy more, or just keep their eyes closed and hope for the best. Trust me on this one folks...this is going to get ugly before its all over. The average mutual fund investor is going to start freaking out when they see the market hit new lows in the coming weeks, because the concensus is that the government has things under control (finally).

Quick Question: have you ever known the government to have things under control?

(This is the point that I have to recommend Ron Pauls best seller "The Revolution". If you think that big government is the answer, then this is a must read for you).

However, here's what I know ...