Calculate Your Survival

The period from January 1973 to September 1974 was one of the worst periods of performance in the history of the stock market. During these 21 months, the value of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index fell by more than 50%. While savvy investors may have found ways to minimize their losses, virtually no one made money in the stock market during this period.

To get a sense of the investing atmosphere during this bear market, take $10,000. Invest it in your choice of equity asset classes in January 1973. After you've invested 100% of your money, jump ahead to September of 1974 and see how much your investment is worth. Try it with several different investment allocations.