Bear Market Survival Kit: 7 Moves That Actually Work in 2023

Everything’s down—stocks, real estate, crypto. So what do you actually do with your money?

Here’s the thing: some of the “boring” moves hit different when markets are tanking.

I-Bonds are currently offering 6.89% (was 9.62% last year). Government-backed, interest compounds every 6 months tied to inflation. Max $10k/person/year, but you can stack this across family members.

Pay off debt sounds unsexy, but crunch the math: extra $1k/month on a $300k mortgage at 3.5% = $91k saved in interest. That’s a guaranteed 4% annualized return on an asset you own outright.

High-yield savings now hitting 3%+. Yeah, really. With the Fed likely staying hawkish on inflation in 2023, cash on hand beats being forced to capitulate at the bottom. Bear markets average 1.3 years historically.

Want to get weird with it? Farmland averaging 11% historical yields without stock market volatility. Art outpacing S&P 500 since 2000. Both illiquid, both require 5-10 year horizons, but both uncorrelated to traditional markets.

The takeaway: stop trying to time the bottom. Build dry powder, diversify into unglamorous assets, and remember—when everyone’s panicking, that’s usually when the best opportunities show up.