The typical advice for the beginning of a market downturn is to buy bonds, which usually act as a safe haven from those fleeing stocks (perhaps untrue currently

The typical advice for the beginning of a market downturn is to buy bonds, which usually act as a safe haven from those fleeing stocks (perhaps untrue currently though). Alternatively, some propose purchasing blue chip dividend yielding stocks, as money moves from risky stocks to tried and true ones. During a recession/large market correction, you're looking to hold all cash and just buy stocks cheap after they drop all the way to their lowest point (think Ford or AIG in 2008). The problem with these strategies is that market events usually occur over sufficiently long time frames to obscure their size and direction. Looking back at 2007/2008, Lehman was the obvious "moment" but the market and economy didn't nose-dive instantly to their nadir on the collapse of Lehman Bros. It feels like there was a "moment", but it was only obvious in hindsight.