The three major indexes have all slipped into bear territory in recent times. And many of the strongest stocks have followed. In some cases, these usually solid companies are struggling with today's challenges, such as rising inflation and supply chain problems. In other cases, they're managing headwinds -- but investors still are staying away.

And this means the idea of investing right now seems a bit scary. But scary or not, bear markets are an excellent time to start investing or continue on your investment path. Let's talk about why.

First, here's a very important point. Bear markets don't last forever. As my colleague Katie Brockman points out, history shows us the average bear market lasts 388 days. That's about a year. So, if you invest during these difficult times, brighter days generally aren't too far off.

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Source Fool.com