Last year was a catastrophe for many investors. Red-hot inflation and rising interest rates triggered a sharp decline in the stock market, erasing more than $8 trillion in value from the S&P 500 index alone. In fact, all three major U.S. financial indexes had their worst year since the global financial crisis rocked Wall Street in 2008.

Unfortunately, the situation has changed little in the first two months of 2023. The benchmark S&P 500 is still down over 15% from its all-time high, and investors have good reason to worry that stocks could fall even further. Inflation is still near a 40-year high, the federal funds rate is at a 15-year high, and several economic signals suggest a recession is possible, if not probable. Those concerns raise the question: Is it safe to invest in the stock market right now?

Investors should take advice from Warren Buffett.

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Source Fool.com