Six trading days is all it took for the S&P 500 to fall 10% from its all-time high set Feb. 19, the fastest 10% correction in history. In less than a month, the Dow Jones industrial average lost 20%, officially entering a bear market.

An old Wall Street axiom suggests the stock market is the only place in the world where buyers are more comfortable paying a higher price for the product. If that’s the case, the line at the checkout counter is about to get longer. There’s no denying the majority of U.S. stocks have become more expensive. What most people really want to know: “Is it still a good time to invest in equities?”

While preparing for a review meeting with a client earlier this month, we waited for President Donald Trump to address the nation. It was the morning after Iran had fired missiles at U.S. military bases in Iraq. Although tensions in the Middle East have simmered down (relatively speaking) since the first week of January, it seemed Trump’s first official public comments were worthy of our attention.

A typical hedge fund requires that any interested buyer first meet the definition of an “accredited investor.” That usually means a person who earns at least $250,000 per year or has a net worth of at least $5 million. If you have ever thought about investing in a hedge fund, perhaps you considered that threshold unreasonable. These days, it’s something to be thankful for.

When it comes to stock market forecasting, it’s trendy to be pessimistic. Recession warnings and correction calls are as fashionable as ever. As for us, we consider it more likely than not that the market grinds higher through year-end.