Since 1872, there have been 26 bull markets and 26 bear markets, according to research from Fidelity. This means that one follows another, and that the current bull market we've been experiencing since 2022 will eventually come to an end. And some investors are trying to prepare now for a market-wide shift in sentiment.
The bull market historically lasts about 3.5 years, on average, so we could be getting close to the current one winding down. This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia.
For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue » But timing the beginning or the end of any bull or bear market is impossible. Instead, putting your money into an exchange-traded fund that tracks the broad S&P 500 is one of the best long-term moves you can make.
Here's why owning the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) is a winning strategy. One of the biggest mistakes investors make is attempting to time the end of a bull market or the bottom of a bear market. Research from Invesco shows that if you had a $100,000 portfolio and missed 10 of the best days in the market between 1995 and 2025, your investment would be halved compared to keeping your money fully invested the entire time.
That means getting the timing wrong -- which is highly likely -- could cost you dearly. Instead of trying to guess the starts and stops of bull and bear markets, you can put your money in the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF and rest assured that if the market is doing well, you won't be missing out on the gains. That's because the ETF tracks the entire S&P 500, following the share prices of 500 publicly traded companies across sectors such as consumer goods, energy, industrials, technology, and more.
What's more, this ETF has a fantastic track record. The fund was launched in 2010 and has had a historical average annual return of 14.9% since its inception. You won't earn that much every year, of course, but leaving your money in the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF will help ensure that you're benefiting from the market's gains when they come along.
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