Amy, I’m concerned, but not to the point of investing my money in mattresses to store the remainder. As a young investor, I know the market will bounce back and the net result will be growth on my investments.

It is scary, but actually a little exciting to me.  I am going Friday to buy cheap stock - some of the ones that are hitting rock bottom right now…This is the perfect opportunity to buy stocks that are crashing, but are surely coming back.  BE BRAVE and ADVENTUROUS!  We are all going broke and now is the perfect opportunity for us to do something to secure our future!! I am low end middle class and have been really concerned about the prices of everything skyrocketing.  BUT I think this will be a solution to what could be a dire situation for all of us.

Why should the american people bailout or bridge anyone money? Is this not a Capitalist country? So why act like a Socialist? AIG is a company if it fails, it fails, same with any banks or stock companys, which most if not all gambled with our livelyhood without a bye or leave. why should the american government with the taxpayers money bail them out? How many Generations will this be passed down to, to pay off? Is this something we want to leave our kids and grandkids? Plus on top of all this, The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. whose insurance fund has slipped below the minimum target level set by Congress, could be forced to tap tax dollars through a Treasury Department loan if Washington Mutual Inc., the nation’s largest thrift, or another struggling rival fails. What would truely happen if we got rid of the Federal Reserve (the Federal Reserve is a privately owned, for-profit corporation, not owned by the government.)  and went back to the Gold standard the way our forefathers had it? Did not our forefathers created the Gold system,  to protect us. they sure did.

What happens to the accounts held by Merrill Lynch or Lehman’s Brothers?  Will the individual person’s 401K’s or IRA’s be lost or worth less? With questions out there about Morgan Stanley, what would you advise for someone with accounts with Morgan Stanley?  If Wachovia were to take Morgan Stanley over would the accounts move over on a $ to $ value, if not, would it be advisable to transfer to Wachovia prior to the news of a takeover?

The government should take all steps to protect retirement and life insurance funds.  It isn’t fair for middle class workers who have struggled for years to have their savings disappear because of fraud and greed.  It is time for those responsible to have their assets seized and then be prosecuted.  If huge corporations can afford to give their CEOs million dollar bonuses then workers should be given respectable wages and retirement security.  Since they are given huge tax breaks why shouldn’t they contribute to a national fund to protect small investors and workers if the company fails?  The middle class is shrinking because of loopholes and lack of accountability.  Without a strong middle class our very democracy is at risk.

To answer some of your questions, try these links. 
For an explainer on the plan, look at this article in the New York Times.

And when it comes to your money here’s what the experts tell The New York Times - you should do.