Most investors are blind to the possibility of a market crash. Here is the five-part strategy to survive one.

Jared Dillian, a Wall Street veteran, argues that the biggest risk facing many investors today is inexperience: a large share of them have never navigated a major market downturn. That gap in lived experience, he suggests, can leave portfolios exposed when conditions turn. His response is a five-part strategy built around a portfolio designed to offer protection against a severe market decline.

The point is less about predicting a crash than about preparation. Investors who have only known rising markets may underestimate how quickly sentiment and liquidity can shift, and how much drawdowns can test discipline. Dillian's framework is a reminder that defensive positioning is a choice made in calm conditions, not during a panic.

What to watch: how widely such protective approaches are adopted, and whether investor behavior shifts as volatility returns. For observers, the takeaway is educational — understanding the limits of one's own market experience is a starting point for assessing risk tolerance and portfolio resilience.