stock market

Q: I had a really good year in the stock market and my IRA is up a lot. Given the political situation and what is happening with Iran do you think I should take my gains and move to the sidelines?

In case you hadn’t noticed, the stock market has been under a little pressure lately. The S&P 500 index has fallen 10% from its all-time high on September 21. The tech-heavy NASDAQ index has been hit even harder, dropping 15% from its high on August 29. The market’s sharp drop has raised the anxiety level for some investors. I have had several people ask me if this is the start of a bear market. I always tell them the same thing: I don’t know. Nobody does. The pundits who try to tell you otherwise are simply fooling themselves.