It's been quite the year for Wall Street and investors. Since hitting their respective all-time highs between mid-November and the first week of January, the timeless Dow Jones Industrial Average, broad-based S&P 500, and growth-centric Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) have shed as much as 19%, 24%, and 34% of their values. You'll note by the magnitude of these declines that the S&P 500 and Nasdaq have firmly fallen into bear market territory.

There's no two ways about it: Bear markets can be scary. They're known for testing the resolve of investors due to the unpredictability and velocity of downside moves. But this is just one side of the coin.

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Source Fool.com