A stock market crash only wipes out your portfolio if you sell. If the company is at all viable it will be able to raise prices with inflation, thus continuing

A stock market crash only wipes out your portfolio if you sell. If the company is at all viable it will be able to raise prices with inflation, thus continuing to exist. You own a piece of the company, and maybe the price other people are willing to pay you for that does not reflect the actual value of the company. So when Mr. Market uncrashes and is more optimistic about the future, you can sell then. Or, better yet, just buy something you'd like to own forever (paying a dividend helps make forever look more attractive). A company like Coca-Cola is pretty inflation-proof, to my mind. Not only does the product have a demonstrated multi-decade appeal, including during a full-on Depression, but the company is working hard to make it more valuable tomorrow.