Can they do it? Can Republicans and Democrats in Washington set aside their differences and avoid the so-called fiscal cliff? As negotiations continue in Washington, investors here at home are nervously awaiting some sign of progress.

Before President Obama is sworn in for his second term and the new Congress takes the oath of office… we well could fall off the fiscal cliff. If Congress doesn’t act, Bush-era tax cuts will expire and huge budget cuts will be enacted and on Wall Street there is great fear and loathing.

“A lot of investors right now are just paralyzed with fear,” said Owen Malcolm, managing director at United Capital here in Atlanta. And that alone, he believes, should be a strong signal to lawmakers.

Still, with all the fear and loathing, Malcolm said he remains confident.

“I think, in the end, an agreement will be reached,” he predicted.

And in the end, he said, this will be a mere blip on the radar for most 401ks. His advice to investors: stay the course.