Protecting Your Portfolio - Special Report - Investments Stock Market Wall Street

If you are one of the many investors having trouble stomaching the big and wild swings, now may be a good time to scale back on your level of risk.

Financial planners say the end of the year marks the perfect opportunity to revisit your asset allocation to ensure it still reflects your financial goals and tolerance for risk -- especially with many economists projecting the bear market will continue for the next six months.

The market is going down, up, down again ... and maybe sideways for a little while. What should you do? It depends on who you are.

If you have a strong stomach and like a good gamble, the current volatility may be a good opportunity to put some money in play to beef up your portfolio gains in what's been a rocky year. While the pickings may seem slim, investment strategists say there are some opportunities within certain sectors, and if you are considering making broader bets, using options strategies can provide a good way to maximize gains while limiting losses.

A common pitfall of a 401(k) plan is setting it up, blindly plunking money into it over the years, and then suddenly remembering it exists when you're in your 50s. Here’s some advice to help you along the way to make sure your money lasts longer than you do.

How safe are your savings and investments and what happens if any of your financial institutions goes belly up? Here’s a who’s–who, what’s-what guide on who stands behind your money.