Every Market Crash Taught Me Something—Here’s What You Can Learn Too
If you’ve been investing long enough, you’ve felt it. That pit in your stomach. The moment you check your portfolio and see red—lots of it. The fear that whispers, “Should I sell? Should I get out before it gets worse?”
I’ve lived through six major market crashes in my lifetime. Some I barely noticed. Some rocked my world. And one nearly knocked me to my knees. But each one left behind something valuable—a lesson that shaped how I think about money, risk, and long-term wealth.
Looking back, I realize that every crash has made me a better investor, a smarter risk-taker, and a calmer decision-maker.
Maybe you’ve been through some of these too. Maybe you’re just starting. Either way, my hope is that what I’ve learned can help you prepare, stay strong, and build a portfolio that not only survives but thrives.
1987 - The Crash I Didn’t Feel (But Would Later Understand)
Where I Was: Second grade, excited about my new school in Bayside, NY.
What Happened: The stock market fell 22.6% in one day—the worst drop in history at the time.
The Lesson: I was too young to know what was happening, but looking back, this was the first time I saw a market crash recover. Panic was everywhere—but the world didn’t end.
What You Can Take Away: The market is built to bounce back. No crash lasts forever.
2000-2002 - The Dot-Com Bubble (When I First Saw Euphoria Turn to Fear)
Where I Was: Junior at LMU, rocking bleach-blonde hair and enjoying college life.
What Happened: The stock market soared in the late ‘90s, fueled by tech hype. Then? It collapsed nearly 80%—and billions of dollars disappeared overnight.
The Lesson: Just because something is going up doesn’t mean it will stay up. Hype is not the same as real value. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
What You Can Take Away: Not every “hot stock” is worth chasing. Invest in what’s real, not just what’s exciting.
2008 - The Financial Crisis (My First Personal Setback)
Where I Was: A top-performing Account VP at UBS—until I got laid off.
What Happened: The housing market collapsed. Banks failed. The S&P 500 dropped over 50 percent. People lost homes, jobs, and savings.
The Lesson: Even when you do everything right, you can still get hit. I was let go despite being a top performer—not because of anything I did wrong, but because of the bigger financial collapse. The one thing that saved me? I had bought my first condo, but I stayed within my budget. That meant I never lost sleep over how to pay my mortgage.
What You Can Take Away: No job is forever. Live below your means when times are good, so you don’t panic when times are bad.
2020 - The COVID Crash (The Fastest Drop & Recovery I’d Ever Seen)
Where I Was: At home with my family, not even looking at the market.
What Happened: The market crashed 34 percent in weeks—then skyrocketed back up just as fast.
The Lesson: The V-shaped recovery taught me that sometimes, doing nothing is the best thing you can do.
I had stocks like Netflix, Roku, Spotify, and crypto—and because I didn’t panic-sell, they rebounded. By the time I checked my portfolio at the end of the year, I was higher than before the crash.
But 2020 wasn’t just about the markets. My second daughter was born in early summer. While the world was in chaos, my world was expanding. It gave me perspective—money matters, but family matters more.
What You Can Take Away: Sometimes, the smartest move is to stay calm and let time do its thing. And sometimes, the most important things happening in life have nothing to do with the market at all.
2022 - The Hardest Emotional Hit (And My Investment Revolution)
Where I Was: Teaching 6th-grade catechism when I checked my phone—and saw my portfolio down 40 percent.
What Happened: Interest rates spiked, tech stocks crashed, and my account got obliterated.
The Lesson: Understanding risk is one thing. Feeling risk is another.
For the first time, I felt it physically—my knees got weak, my stomach dropped. But I didn’t panic. I didn’t sell. I took the hit, trusted the process, and rode it out.
What You Can Take Away: Your biggest financial decisions will be made in moments of fear. Get comfortable with discomfort.
2024 - The Evolution: A Smarter, Stronger Approach to Wealth
Where I Am Now:
• I rebalanced my portfolio—not selling everything, just reducing my highest-risk positions.
• I moved from 99 percent risk to 70 percent—because I know the next recession will come, and I want to be ready.
• I kept plenty of stock in the tank—but also gave myself more cash to buy when the next crash happens.
• I now see recessions as part of the process, not something to fear.
What’s the Biggest Takeaway from All These Market Crashes?
Every time the market fell, it taught me something.
1987 taught me that crashes happen—but they recover.
2000 taught me that hype doesn’t last—real value does.
2008 taught me to be financially prepared—so my life wasn’t wrecked.
2020 taught me that patience beats panic. And that life’s biggest moments aren’t about money at all.
2022 taught me that real risk feels different—but strength comes from staying in the game.
And in 2024, I put all of it together.
How Does This Apply to You? If you’re investing, you will face losses. Guaranteed.
But what you do during those losses determines your future wealth.
• If you panic and sell, you lock in losses.
• If you stay in the game, you give yourself a chance to recover.
• If you prepare before the crash, you don’t have to panic when it happens.
Final Thought: The Market Will Keep Testing You
There will be another crash. Maybe next year. Maybe in five years. But it will come.
The question isn’t “Will the market crash?”
The question is: “How will you handle it?”
• Will you panic? Or will you prepare?
• Will you sell out of fear? Or will you see it as an opportunity?
• Will you let emotions control you? Or will you take control of your emotions?
Because here’s the truth:
Wealth isn’t built in bull markets—it’s built in bear markets.
The people who prepare for the next crash will be the ones who thrive after it.
So, what will you do?