A bear market for stocks could be coming.  After a nine-year bull market, there is always the chance that a bear market could be right around the corner.  The problem is, it can be hard to know when it’s coming, how long it will last or how severely it will impact stock prices.  So it’s always safe to say that a bear market is coming…eventually.  And it’s always good to know some of the precursors and ways to hedge.

There is no reason to be alarmed.  Not only can you survive the next bear market, you can even prosper from it.  Below are some techniques you can use to either reduce your portfolio losses or even to make some money off the big bad bear. (For related reading, see article: Adapt to a Bear Market.)