Every so often, Wall Street sends investors a not-so-subtle reminder that stocks don't move up in a straight line. That's perhaps the best way to sum up what's happened this year. Since hitting their all-time highs, the ageless Dow Jones Industrial Average, benchmark S&P 500, and growth-driven Nasdaq Composite have all pushed into a bear market with peak-to-trough declines of greater than 20%.

Although double-digit percentage declines in the broader market can be unnerving and coerce rash decision-making, it's important to note that every big drop has represented a surefire buying opportunity for long-term investors. In other words, a bear market is always a good excuse for investors to do some shopping.

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Source Fool.com