As world markets brace for another economic slowdown, investors are trying to figure out how steep the dip will be and how to protect their assets.

For David Collum, a chemistry professor at Cornell University turned financial analyst, 2019 will be a turning point. He points to the emergence of explicitly socialist campaign promises and extreme political polarization in the United States as red flags.

The Federal Reserve will try to avoid a market correction at all costs, he argues, but it cannot postpone the harsh reality forever.