The word recession gets thrown around in the news all the time, but how do we know if we are really in a recession or not? The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) is who can determine whether we are in a recession. The formal label “Recession” becomes official well after the fact. Normally a recession is not declared until twelve months after it occurs. A recession typically happens every four or five years. So, what should you do as an investor to prepare for a recession? As an investor during a recession, you want to run for the hills! It can be excruciating to watch your stocks go down for twelve months straight. However, you can’t actually run for the hills. Instead, look at the sectors you are invested in because some do better than others during a recession. In other words, focus on turning lemons into lemonade.