KNOW: Middle-aged males are suffering the highest rate of joblessness in the 60 years since the Bureau of Labor Statistics has been keeping data. And when they lose their jobs, they take longer to find new ones than younger workers do.

DO: Seek out clients who have lost their jobs or suffered other career cutbacks, don’t ignore them. They can use your emotional support, and they probably need your help in setting realistic financial objectives to carry them through the hard times. Your effort will be rewarded by cementing a long-term relationship based on gratitude and trust.

KNOW: Economists may say that recovery is right around the corner, but American consumers are not yet convinced. In a June study, First Command Financial found that 39% believed that things could get worse, and 28% weren’t sure that the economy was getting better.

DO: Pessimism is the financial advisor’s friend – frugal clients save more, and the savings must be invested. Trusted advisors will get the lion’s share of Americans’ increased savings because they help clients articulate goals for surviving the recession, and they find investments, suitable to the tenor of the times, that address their anxieties.