Don't be scared of the bear market, stock market crash

Bear markets come and go, below you will see that we’ve experienced several over the last half century. Some could argue this is the best time to buy, as prices are low. Just keep in mind your goals, you’re in this for the long haul and you will experience market declines over your investment life. The market will rebound, it just may take some time – so keep investing and you will gain back more than you’ve lost.

The last ten bear markets:

August 1956-October 1957 Lasted 14.7 months, -21.6% market loss

December 1961-June 1962 6.4 months, -28.0%

February 1966-October 1966 7.9 months, -22.2%

November 1968-May 1970 17.9 months, -36.1%

January 1973-October 1974 20.7 months, -48.2%

September 1976-March 1978 17.5 months, -19.4%

January 1981-August 1982 19.2 months, -25.8%

August 1987-December 1987 3.3 months, -33.5%

July 1990-October 1990 2.9 months, -19.9%

March 2000-October 2002 30.5 months, -49.1%

Source: Standard & Poor’s Corporation.