Among other questions often raised by clients: Will their lifestyles have to change in the post-market turmoil world; and, at a time when everything seems to be spinning out of control, what is in their control?

Buie said one way to empower clients is to tell them that they could have a lot more control over their finances if they control their spending. She added that one of her overspending clients asked her after the crash, "Why didn't you stop me from spending?"

As for lifestyle changes, there are cases when some clients will have to adapt, but often times the transitions are minor. The most important thing is that planners never give their clients the idea they are omniscient or that there is a risk-free world out there, said Ross Levin of Accredited Investors Inc.

"I think the best financial planning book of all time is Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha," said Levin. "And the reason I say that is because it's all about impermanence. And it talks about how you can't prevent uncertainty. But we can adapt to the things around us."

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