Stay-the-course has been etched into savings habits since the last great meltdown ultimately churned higher account balances.

Reports after the 2008-09 financial crisis showed those who didn't abandon equities and didn't dial down contributions actually got rewarded when markets rebounded. This downturn remains a defining moment for participant consistency, showing simple inertia – while it might not be favorable in the end – can actually be practical in order to ride out a market storm.

Studies show this path paid off at the end of first quarter when, according to Fidelity, account balances hit an all-time high at an average $75,000. It paid off again at the end of the second quarter, when those participants who stuck with an allocation that included equities saw a 50 percent increase (compared to 2 percent for those who didn't want to take the risk).