History Says Investing in the Stock Market During a Bear Market Is the Smartest Move You Can Make. Here's Why.

Key Points Trying to time the market has long proven a fool's errand. Consider if you missed just 10 of the best days in the past 20 years. This would have cut your annualized returns by 40%. 10 stocks we like better than Vanguard S&P 500 ETF › A bear market may not be the first thing on your mind, considering that the stock market has had fantastic gains over the past five years, with the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) up 78%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) up 53%, and the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) gaining 84%. Still, bull markets are, unsurprisingly, followed by bear markets , and rising inflation and geopolitical instability are worrying some investors. Missed AI’s "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 15x Bigger.