Monday's 684-point

drop of the Dow Jones Industrial Average left more than a few people scrambling

to try and find good investment advice.

But local broker

Elizabeth Whitlock at Edward Jones is urging people not to panic.

"I am

upbeat in a down market," she said.

Whitlock was

one of the first brokers to open a New York Stock Exchange office on the

south side and has seen the market weather some storms.

"Monday's

market reminded me of the day after the market crashed in 1987. There

was more buying than selling," she said.

She said she

was particularly struck by the "patriotic buying" that occurred.

"We had

a number of airline employees coming into the office and buying stock

in their companies to show that they still had confidence," she said.

In light of

the tragedy, Edward Jones is offering several tips for investors:

Stay the course.

Once you have

plotted a course toward your financial destination, it's vital to stay

on track.

Stay invested.

Now is not

the time to get out of the market. The financial markets have historically

been noted for their resilience.

Stay with

quality.

Stocks issued

Stay diversified.

Stay focused

on the long term

Stay calm.

Investment

decisions should never be based on emotions, Whitlock said.

In front of

her office, Whitlock's sign reads: "God Bless America," and

she plans to change it on a regular basis to keep up the morale of the

community.

Whitlock has

fielded a lot of questions from senior citizens and retired folks who

are afraid they're going to lose their life savings, but she said that's

not going to be the case. "As long as people are diversified in their

investment strategy and are in it for the long haul, they will be fine,"

she said.

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