My elderly widow and next door neighbor, Teresa, called me last night to ask about getting together this Friday evening for wine and appetizers. Normally a routine request like that would receive a quick, “Yes!”

Investors like labels, especially for the economy and financial markets—many of them with the word “great” in them. Well, we’ve moved into what we might call the Great Disconnect.

It’s been a rough couple of weeks as the U.S. and the world face the challenges brought forth by the COVID-19 virus. We’ve been receiving calls from people wanting to move to cash and others looking to invest more. Some just want reassurance that the world isn’t going to end.

While it does feel like a crisis, it’s very different from the one that hit in 2008 and 2009. We think that if you understand the difference, you’ll be better equipped to decide how to ride this one out.