September’s warning shot, a correction in the NASDAQ as tech stocks rolled over, is a crystal-clear signal that October won’t be a smooth ride for index investors. This isn’t an ordinary fall season slump, as an ultra-contentious election season adds fuel to the already blazing dumpster fire of a market.

With a make-or-break election in sight, a crucial decision looms that will determine the course of America’s future. We’ve already witnessed the impact of President Trump’s business-friendly 2017 tax reform. If Joe Biden is put in control, the changes would be drastic.

The worst possible time to buy hurricane insurance is right before a hurricane. You’ll pay much more for the insurance, or worse yet, it won’t even be available for purchase. And yet, many people don’t start thinking about buying hurricane insurance until it’s storm season and the newscasters are telling everybody to hunker down.

You might have heard the old tale of the frog in the boiling pot of water. With effort, the frog could jump out of the hot water but chooses not to because it’s only moderately warm at first. Yet, the heat is turning up and the frog, refusing to acknowledge his predicament or act on it, gradually boils to death.

Maximizing upside is a top priority as an investor, but protecting our downside is equally or even more important.

I’m always on the lookout for sub-sectors of the stock market that don’t get as much attention as they deserve. Instead of chasing already pricey tech stocks like Apple and Tesla, informed investors should add unique and underappreciated names to their watch lists.

Chances are pretty good that you heard about the recent 5-for-1 split in Tesla (TSLA) stock. Even prior to the stock split, Tesla was generating a whole lot of buzz in the financial press as the share price only took a few months to soar from $500 to over $2,000.