Protecting Your Money

And then, last week — market panic, and a riptide of fear that those savings, such as they are, could all go away.

By week’s end, there was hope in the air. Bailout talk and some sharp up days on Wall Street and around the world. But a generation of “on your own” Americans have now looked into the abyss and wondered — many in stark fear — what on earth to do with their money.

This hour, On Point: Financial planners give financial advice on surviving the storm.

You can join the conversation. Have you dared to peek at your portfolio? How’s it look? Are you buying? Selling? Taking a deep breath? What’s your question for the experts?Guests:

Joining us from Newton, Mass., is Alicia Munnell. She is a professor at Boston College's Carroll School of Management and director of the Center for Retirement Research. She was a member of the President’s Council of Economic Advisors from 1995-1997 and was assistant secretary of the treasury for economic policy from 1993-1995. Prior to that, she spent 20 years at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

Joining us from Denver, Colo., is Susie Johnston. She's a certified financial planner and registered investment advisor and owns Cherry Hills Investment Advisors, an independent firm.

Joining us from Washington is Robert Frick, senior editor for Kiplinger's Personal Finance. He leads the magazine's Rewards section and writes about investments.

More links:

"10 ways to protect your money now" — MSN Money and The Wall Street Journal offer a list of things you can do now, from "Check that your bank accounts are federally insured," to "Don't panic."

"How to Cope With the Financial Crisis" — tips from Kiplinger's on protecting your portfolio and safeguarding your accounts.

"Is It Safe To Get Back Into Stocks?" — CNBC on the outlook for stocks after a tumultuous week, and more uncertainty ahead.