The latest market developments have left a lot of question marks. People who have money invested are worried; people with 401(k) investments want to know if they should do a U-turn; and people with no money invested at all want to know if any of this should mean something to them.

If you're under the age of 50, the fact that stocks are really stinking it up actually benefits you. You can buy more stock with the same amount of money you put in every paycheck via your 401(k) or IRA. You may want to invest a part of your money internationally. The truth is that there will be stronger economic growth overseas than here in the United States in the coming years. That's going to be especially true of developing countries throughout Asia; to a lesser degree in former Communist Europe; and possibly in South America and Africa. We here in the United States have 4% of the world's population, yet more than a third of the wealth. So we'll continue to be a very rich country. It is important to be an owner in capitalism. You can be an owner through mutual funds and index funds available via your 401(k) or IRA. Right now, things may be tough for you and your retirement/investment strategy. But over time, ownership is a sure way to create wealth for you and your family.

Are you in it for today? No, you're in for the long haul. Take a look at Clark's investment guide for pointers. The simplest approach to investing may be a targeted retirement fund. Clark also likes Fidelity's 4-in-1 fund. The key is to spread your money out and continue to contribute to your retirement savings through the tough times. When it comes time to read your 401(k) quarterly statement, you may want to get some generic antacid -- you sure won't be able to afford the name-brand stuff!

The majority of people don't have a penny invested, though. So should any of this matter to them? Well, we as a country and individuals have been borrowing money we don't have. That means the economy is slowing down. President Bush hopes we're not in a recession, but really we're in a consumer recession. We're all in this together and we'll all get out together. There may be some pain, even if you didn't have a penny invested. But there's also great opportunity for the 30% of us who are in good financial stead at this time. The other 70% of us will have to tighten our belts, which is something politicians don't want you to do -- at least not before the November elections. On the other side of the ledger, you have active traders who got burned in hedge funds. Clark's advice is to stay away from doing trades with leverage, which is a fancy term for borrowed money. All you want to lose is what you put in, not 100 times what you put in. So only put in what you can afford to lose and still sleep at night. Be safe and smart, and don't play it too cute.