---
title: What Are the Risks With Stocks?
description: Stocks carry a much greater risk of short-term losses than bonds or cash (the other two major asset classes).
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published: '2014-05-21T16:16:47.000Z'
modified: '2014-05-21T16:16:47.000Z'
section: Retirement
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  - risk
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  - stock risk
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![What Are the Risks With Stocks?](https://money.com/img/logo-social.png)

Stocks carry a much greater risk of short-term losses than bonds or cash (the other two major asset classes). Since World War II, Wall Street has endured eleven bear markets (defined as a sustained decline of more than 20% in the value of the Dow Jones industrial average). As a result, it's generally not a good idea to invest in stocks money that you'll need to spend within five years or so.

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