Keep Calm and Trade – How to Make Money in a Bear Market

Tom Gentile

The phrase "No one can predict the future" has never rung truer than it does right now.

Back when I first heard the word "coronavirus" in January, I could never have predicted it would lead to stocked fridges and toilet paper sell-outs.

See, in the past month alone, restaurants around the country have closed. Schools have moved entirely to online learning. The markets have tanked 30%. And I'm willing to bet the majority of you are reading this from your couch, back aching from leaning over a laptop all day.

Businesses and individuals everywhere are losing money. And when you're watching cash flow out of your bank account, it's hard not to panic.

But you don't have to feel trapped in the market meltdown. There are three things you can do right now:

1. Stay calm.
2. Take action.
3. Make money.

Easier said than done, I know. But that's exactly why I'm here.

I'm going to show you how to employ these three steps starting today.

It all starts right now.

Four Ways to Calmly Cash In on the Market Crash

Sergeant Joe Friday from the 1960s television show "Dragnet" would always deal with frenzied people by calmly saying, "Just the facts, ma'am. Just the facts."

Of course, it was the 60s, and the show framed mainly woman as these "frenzied people." But if this market crash has shown us anything, it's that everyone is emotional when it comes to losing money. "Just the facts, man. Just the facts," works just as well here.

You see, in any given circumstance, there are two things:

1. 1. The facts
   2. What you say, think, and feel about the facts

Separating the two is key. In order to take control of any situation, you'll want to put aside those thoughts and feelings and focus directly on the appropriate actions to take – the facts. Think to yourself, "There is nothing wrong here. Only actions to take."

This is especially true when it comes to trading. Gregory R., a subscriber of my Fast Fortune Club, knows this. He said, "My guess as to the number one mistake people make in trades is acting on emotion," and he's right.

So, the market has tanked. You've lost money, and you're afraid that you're going to lose more money. You're also scared that if you get out now, you may sell at the bottom.

Sound familiar?

This isn't the first time the market has crashed. I felt these same exact things back in 2000, and again in 2008. It's easy to let that fear take control. But instead, try and focus on the facts:

1. 1. We are in the midst of a global pandemic.
   2. This pandemic is temporary and will pass.
   3. The world is on the brink of a global recession.
   4. People everywhere are afraid.
   5. The market has dropped 30% in a month.

Let's dive a little deeper into that last one. Here's a 30-year chart of the S&P 500:

30-year chart of the S&P 500

Breaking down this chart, more facts reveal themselves…

1. 1. Markets oscillate between bullish and bearish phases.
   2. Over the past 30 years, the average bull market rises 295% over 8.69 years.
   3. Over the past 30 years, the average bear market drops 54% over 1.95 years.
   4. Bull markets last a lot longer than bear markets.
   5. We are in the midst of a normal and overdue bear cycle.
   6. If the historical averages hold, we can expect the S&P 500 to drop to 1,835 by January 2022.
   7. But this drop may not happen.
   8. Stock portfolios have lost money and will lose more if this history-based forecast holds.
   9. Once the market bottoms, history predicts that we'll have a 295% rise over the next 8.69 years.
   10. Massive opportunity awaits.

Now that we've established the facts, we need to ask ourselves – what now? We can't just simply sit and wait for the market to rise again.

There are actions you can take right now to position yourself for profits in this market.

Tom Gentile

About the Author

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Tom Gentile, options trading specialist for Money Map Press, is widely known as America's No. 1 Pattern Trader thanks to his nearly 30 years of experience spotting lucrative patterns in options trading. Tom has taught over 300,000 traders his option trading secrets in a variety of settings, including seminars and workshops. He's also a bestselling author of eight books and training courses.

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