With the S&P 500 down about 20% year-to-date, the situation for stocks is pretty grim — but according to legendary investor Jim Rogers, it’s just the start.

“This has to be the worst bear market in my lifetime, which means it will go down a lot and it will last a long time,” the 79-year-old told ET Now earlier this month.

Rogers knows a thing or two about making money in turbulent times. He co-founded the Quantum Fund with George Soros in 1973 — right in the middle of a devastating bear market. From then till 1980, the portfolio returned 4,200%, while the S&P 500 rose 47%.

If you are looking for a safe haven, Rogers says “there is no such thing as safe” in the world of investments. Still, the multimillionaire points to two assets that could help you withstand the upcoming onslaught.

Don’t miss

• Mitt Romney says a billionaire tax will trigger demand for these two physical assets — get in now before the super-rich swarm

• Stocks are down, but “cash is not a safe investment,” says Ray Dalio — get creative to find strong returns

• Warren Buffett likes these 2 investment opportunities outside of the stock market

Silver

Precious metals are a go-to choice for investors in dark times, and Rogers is a long-time advocate.

“Silver is probably less dangerous than other things. Gold is probably less dangerous,” he says.

Gold and silver can’t be printed out of thin air like fiat money, so they can help investors hedge against inflation. At the same time, their prices tend to stay resilient in a crisis.

But that doesn’t mean they are crash-proof.

“I'm not buying them now, because in a big collapse, everything goes down. But I probably will buy more silver when it goes down some more.”

Silver is widely used in the production of solar panels and is a critical component in many vehicles’ electrical control units. Rising industrial demand, in addition to its usefulness as a hedge, makes silver in particular a compelling asset for investors.

You can buy silver coins and bars directly at your local bullion shop. You can also invest in silver ETFs like the iShares Silver Trust (SLV).