So are we in a bear market now?
The answer really depends on what you are invested in. If you own the S&P 500, the data above might be interesting, but it also shouldn’t be of particular concern since your portfolio barely entered into correction territory at the low. If your portfolio isn’t market cap weighted and includes small-cap stocks, your pain has likely been much greater. And if you invest in technology stocks or expensive stocks, you are currently seeing a major bear market. In the end, like many things in investing, the definition of a bear market is really different for each investor. The current decline is a great example of that.