Owning stock is a bit different than many other investment vehicles. When stocks nosedive the losses are called paper losses and are not real unless you sell the stock. Of course many investors do panic and sell trying to minimize their losses. The market makers love people who buy high and sell low.
In my opinion this is an awesome buying opportunity for long term investment. That $2.00 per share Ford Motors stock, for example will be back in the teens or twenties in 10 years easily. Walgreens stock is about $35.00 per share but always fluctuates up to about $50.00 where the company usually does a 3 for 2 split dropping it back down plus they pay quarterly dividends.
Commodities on the other hand can wipe out an individual if it nose dives or climbs too high depending. Since they have a definite contract period and expiration, whatever the price is, is what must be paid. Those who purchased oil contracts are scrambling right now because when they purchased them 90, 180, or 360 days ago, oil was high and expected to climb. Since its collapse over the past month those holding the contracts cannot sell them because current contracts can be purchased cheaper. Most commodities investors don't want the contract to expire. They buy and sell the contracts before expiration because if they expire the purchaser will end up with 1000 barrels of oil, 20,000 bushels of corn, 1000 pork bellies or what have you dumped on their front yard.
Keep buying opportunity in mind. Look for exceedingly undervalued stock beyond what the market has done and you will make a nice profit over the mid to long term. Day trading is fun but it requires a very large bankroll whereas longer term investment can make good money on a meager budget.
