Bear markets are part of the market lifecycle. Learn more about the history, implications and what to do as an investor.

Are you worried about how the current economic climate will affect your retirement planning? We’re hearing more and more that Gen X and younger need to save more to retire comfortably. And while the market is unpredictable, focusing on long-term planning is more important than short-term market movements.

The asset growth of thematic funds quadrupled and they offer unique, tactical bets on investment opportunities grouped by a subject or motif. Typically, it’s about technology and our changing future. Thematic funds tend to be a bull market phenomenon, possibly a result of investor overconfidence and enthusiasm. (There’s a good line that bull markets make everyone look smart.) It’s an intuitive strategy: “Let’s invest in a handful of really smart innovative companies that people are excited about, the growth potential is incredible”.

You are no doubt familiar with the group of mostly anonymous investors who coordinated the leveraged buying of GameStop, AMC, and other stock options, pushing up the price to the point that some hedge funds lost a lot of money. It was a good David and Goliath story and a new development in consumer investing. Out of curiosity, I bought into the frenzy to see what it was like (I’ll cut to the chase; it was terrifying.)