This has been a year to remember for investors in seemingly all the wrong ways. Since the major U.S. indexes hit their respective all-time closing highs between mid-November and the first week of January, the timeless Dow Jones Industrial Average, broad-based S&P 500, and growth-driven Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) have shed as much as 19%, 24%, and 34% of their value. You'll note by the drop in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq that both indexes have entered a bear market.

Although bear markets don't occur all that often, they can be scary -- especially for newer investors. The velocity and unpredictability of downward moves can cause investors to question their resolve. Yet history shows that buying during bear market declines is a genius move. Because every notable decline in the major U.S. indexes is eventually cleared away by a bull market, double-digit percentage declines are your green light to do some shopping.

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Source Fool.com