“The Fed’s continued balancing act between restoring price stability in exchange for economic pain has roiled the markets as hopes for a soft landing are quickly fading,” said Nicole Tanenbaum, partner and chief investment strategist at Chequers Financial Management. The brief summer rally has since given way to a more pessimistic mood — that the Fed won’t be able to bring down inflation without sparking a recession. “Monetary policy is a blunt instrument, and investors are rightly concerned that the Fed may go too far too quickly before it is able to accurately assess the effects of its policy on the economy,” she said.

What is a bear market?

A bear market is a loosely defined investing benchmark that has tremendous psychological weight, said Rod von Lipsey, managing director of UBS Private Wealth Management. It’s worse than a “correction,” which is a fall of at least 10 percent and underscores that Wall Street is pessimistic and worried that a recession — when the economy contracts for two quarters in a row — may soon follow. There is no magic number that automatically triggers further selling. But potentially losing more than 20 cents on every dollar invested ― as a bear market indicates ― can trigger a certain panic in the mind of the investor, von Lipsey said. For consumers who put money aside, such a large decline can make a real difference in their life and financial plans. Bear markets are also significant because any recovery requires substantial growth. For instance, after a 20 percent loss, the stock market would need to rise by 25 percent just to break even. Waiting for that to happen can affect someone’s ability to retire or other life decisions. “The amount by which one falls probably has a bigger impact on the confidence of the investor as well as the time frame required to recover all that was lost,” said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA.

How long do bear markets last?

Nobody knows. But past bear markets offer some clues. Since World War II, there have been 14 bear markets, including this one. Recoveries take, on average, 23 months to recoup all that was lost during the prior bear market, according to Stovall. The last bear market — from mid-February to late March of 2020 — lasted only 33 days. Aside from that anomalous downturn, there hasn’t been a sustained bear market since 2009, at the end of the financial crisis.

Do bear markets lead to recession?

Not always. While market observers use bear markets as one indicator of a potential recession, they tend to favor other economic signals, like Treasury bond yields, to forecast a downturn. “While most bear markets have been followed by recessions, this has not always been the case, and for every previous bear market that has occurred over the last century, each was eventually accompanied by a longer and stronger bull market,” Tanenbaum said. Americans are facing an array of economic forces that has raised fears of a recession. But those concerns exist alongside other conflicting factors that complicate the picture. The U.S. unemployment rate remains extremely low and consumers have continued to spend, highlighting the strength of the economy. But inflation has stuck around much longer than policymakers initially thought, amplified by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.

Why does the stock index matter?

The S&P 500 is an equity index that tracks the performance of 500 large and representative companies, and is a widely used gauge of financial performance over time. Though investors and analysts follow other indexes, the S&P 500 is seen as the best proxy for how Wall Street is doing — so much so that when people refer to the “stock market,” they’re generally talking about the S&P 500. The index includes large tech companies such as Apple, Microsoft and Facebook parent Meta, along with well-known brands like Berkshire Hathaway, Walmart, Visa and Home Depot. To be added to the list, a company must have a market capitalization of at least $14.6 billion, according to S&P’s latest guidelines . Investors typically see it as a more reliable measure of what’s happening in the economy and the stock market compared with other indexes, said Wayne Wicker, chief investment officer at MissionSquare Retirement. It tends to be less volatile than the Nasdaq index, which includes a lot of growth-oriented tech stocks. The S&P 500 index has “a much broader representation of the general economy than the Dow Jones index,” Wicker said of the blue-chip index, which represents 30 companies.

I’m an investor. What should I do now?

When markets are chaotic, financial advisers seem to agree on one thing: Don’t panic. “Panic is almost a guarantee to lose,” said Michael Farr, a D.C.-based investment adviser with the wealth management firm Farr, Miller and Washington. If you want be a successful long-term investor, you should be prepared to “suffer through such periods and endure,” Farr said, adding: “I promise that Warren Buffett isn’t panicking … he’s excited to see great companies on sale and thinking about what he can buy.” The first step, Wicker said, is to take a deep breath and assess risks. Today’s stock market is very different from last year’s. It makes sense to have an investment game plan that takes the current market into account. If you have a financial adviser or accountant, you should talk to that person immediately, Wicker and Farr said. If you don’t, here are some things to keep in mind:

Business

The stock market is in bear territory. What does that mean?

The loosely defined investing benchmark has tremendous psychological weight and can make a real difference in a consumer’s financial plans

By Hamza Shaban

Taylor Telford

and

Aaron Gregg

June 14, 2022 at 5:49 p.m. EDT

Traders at the New York Stock Exchange in Manhattan on Sept. 13. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

The heavy losses that have rocked Wall Street since the outset of 2022 manifested with stunning intensity last week, as investors once again grappled with the Federal Reserve’s aggressive campaign to clamp down on high inflation.

Get the full experience.Choose your plan

The central bank recently rose its benchmark interest — its fifth hike of 2022 — as policymakers brace for more economic head winds, souring sentiment on Wall Street and raising fears the United States is headed toward recession. A hearty chunk of the substantial pandemic-era gains Wall Street won have now evaporated, taking 401(k) and other investors along for the anxiety-inducing ride.

The S&P 500 tumbled further Monday, setting a new low for the year as it flounders in a bear market — meaning the index has lost 20 percent of its value since its most recent peak. The Dow Jones industrial average fell into its own bear market, bringing all three major indexes into prolonged negative territory. And since some view bear markets as a harbinger of recession, the souring mood can reinforce investor angst and potentially trigger even deeper losses.

Investors are up against what is probably “the most complex macro backdrop” in a century, according to Dan Ives, managing director of Wedbush Securities, as the economy reckons with the coronavirus crisis, supply chain breakdowns, a war in Ukraine, runaway inflation and rising interest rates.

While no one knows how long a bear market will last, past bears can offer some insight into what it means for the broader economy. Here’s why:

Perspective | Seven ways you can financially prepare for a recession