One lesson learned from the global financial crisis is that the markets we invest with, and we trust to be regulated and efficient, are possibly not worthy of our investment and trust. Since there are no other markets for investing, and interest rates available to savers are lower than inflation (hence savers will lose purchasing power/money), what do you do. If your answer is do what I've always done because it will get better, you may be the answer to the rhetorical question "who is the bigger fool".
It is essential someone understands the risk your investment capital is exposed to. In a previous post, risk was discussed in more depth, to explain the concept. One of the points found in that post is for investors to understand the probability of negative or positive outcomes. Think of investing from the perspective of gambling centers such as Las Vegas, Macau or Monte Carlo. When you arrive in town, you become a number in a statistical formula that attempts to predict the odds for where you will spend your cash and how much you of your cash you will leave with. What do you understand about the ways to spend or keep your money in their town? What do you understand about how to increase your cash while playing in their town with their games and their employees?