If you've had money in a brokerage account or IRA since the start of the year, you may have seen your balance decline substantially at different points over the past eight months. It's definitely been a wild year for the stock market, and while many investors have enjoyed a rally in August, it's hard to predict what the rest of 2022 has in store. A stock market downturn can be a devastating event if you're within a few years of retirement.