The Dow is at 700. Let's move forward to 1982. Not only is nobody making money in stocks, it's hard to remember the last time anybody did. As we move into the 1980s, we find big differences from the '70s. Our hostages come home.
Interest rates come down.
The recession is over. Hope that the market will keep going up. I've got to get in on this. So you invest in stocks in early 1987, just in time to catch the market's peak in August. In a panic, you sell, leaving you to ponder how you managed to lose money during the biggest bull market in the history of the United States.