How to Defend Your Retirement Plan Against a Bear Market

A bear market doesn’t have to derail your retirement if you manage risk and stay disciplined. TommyStockProject/ShutterstockDespite recent stock-market highs, uncertainty lingers. Geopolitical tensions, high interest rates, and inflation concerns remain. In the past, these have in some way contributed to bear markets that have torn through portfolios.A bear market is defined as when stock prices drop by at least 20 percent from a recent high. And investors don’t need to look far back to observe the damage it can do.