Provided by Jon Gerhardt

We're in a recession, which could be severe.

Several financial services companies have either collapsed or been bailed out by the government. And the stock market is down about 45 percent since hitting its peak in October of 2007. Is this a "perfect storm" that should blow investors out of the market, or is it actually an opportunity for investors to jump back in?

If you're an investor, your first impulse might be to join the "get out while you can" camp. After all, it's no fun seeing the market plunge hundreds of points one day and then hundreds more the next day.