Bear vs. Bull Market Quiz
Greg Brown, CFP® • Pathway Financial
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Bear vs. Bull Market Quiz

Will You Get All 7 Questions Correct?

Are you smarter than the average bear when there’s a bull market?

Can you separate fact from fiction during a bear market?

Let’s find out how prepared you are to thrive during these common market cycles.

Earn your market preparedness badge with 7 questions on the basics of bear and bull markets.

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7 Questions to Test Your Knowledge of Bear and Bull Markets

1. Which is more common: a bear market or a bull market?

  1. A) Bear market
  2. B) Bull market
  3. C) Neither. They occur equally often

1. Which is more common: a bear market or a bull market?

  1. B) Bull market

A bull market is more common. Bull markets have occurred for 78% of the past 91 years.1

2. What typically lasts longer: a bear market or a bull market?

  1. A) Bear market
  2. B) Bull market
  3. C) They last about the same amount of time

2. What typically lasts longer: a bear market or a bull market?

  1. B) Bull market

A bull market usually lasts longer than a bear market.

Average bear market: 289 days (9.6 months)

Average bull market: 991 days (2.7 years)2

3. True or False: Over the last 20 years, 56% of the S&P 500's strongest days happened during a bear market.

  1. A) True
  2. B) False

3. True or False: Over the last 20 years, 56% of the S&P 500's strongest days happened during a bear market.

  1. A) True

In contrast, 34% of the S&P 500's strongest days happened during the first two months of a bull market, before it was clear that a bull market had even started.2

4. Bear markets have been happening _______ since World War II (1945).

  1. A) Less frequently
  2. B) More frequently
  3. C) At the same rate

4. Bear markets have been happening _______ since World War II (1945).

  1. A) Less frequently

From 1928 to 1945, there were 12 bear markets, with one occurring about every 1.4 years (on average). Following 1945, there have been 14 bear markets. That's one every 5.4 years or so (on average).2

5. Over the long term, a bear market occurs every ________ years, on average.

  1. A) 1 to 2
  2. B) 4 to 6
  3. C) 7
  4. D) 8

5. Over the long term, a bear market occurs every ________ years, on average.

  1. B) 4 to 6

A bear market occurs ever 4 to 6 years.1,2

6. What's the best thing to do in a bear market?

  1. A) Buy
  2. B) Sell
  3. C) Nothing
  4. D) It depends

6. What's the best thing to do in a bear market?

  1. D) It depends

It depends on your circumstances, risk tolerance, and goals.

7. What's the WORST thing to do in a bear market?

  1. A) Buy
  2. B) Sell
  3. C) Nothing
  4. D) It depends

7. What's the WORST thing to do in a bear market?

  1. D) It depends

It depends on your circumstances, risk tolerance, and goals.

Be prepared! It can be easy to forget the facts when markets get volatile.

FINANCIAL LESSON:

How to Make Better Financial Decisions in Bear & Bull Markets

How many questions did you answer correctly?

Which ones surprised you?

However you did on the quiz, it can be easy to forget the facts when markets get volatile.

In bear markets, it’s natural to panic or feel anxious.

In bull markets, it’s easy to get overconfident — and it can be tempting to give into optimism and greed.

If market changes come out of nowhere, even the smartest folks can get impulsive and make short-sighted decisions.

Sometimes, those can get in the way of bigger financial goals.

So, how can we keep a cool head and make better choices no matter what the markets do?

By focusing on a few key facts.

Like the facts that no bear or bull market lasts forever and trying to time the market is not a good idea.3

And the fact that it’s OK to get emotional when the markets get crazy — just don’t fall prey to knee-jerk reactions.

Finally, remember, it always helps to talk about major financial choices before making a move. It can give you a fresh perspective and maybe even show you new possibilities you haven’t considered yet.

Sincerely,

Greg Brown, CFP®

Pathway Financial

https://pathwayplanning.com/

248-567-2160

P.S. Subscribe to my emails. My subscribers get my best insights.

Greg Brown, CFP®

Pathway Financial

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