The difference between now and the 9/11 recession, the recession of the 90s or Great Depression is that we are at a major technological advantage to learn and act financially. With finance 2.0 management and research tools like mint or yahoo finance with have the ability to get highly personal up-to-the minute information and the ease to act on what we learn. The real issue is our skill in interpreting information, making responsible decisions and investments for the long term.