Book excerpt: Proven strategies for keeping your money safe and your investments growing no matter which direction the market is heading After so many years of booming bull markets, the recent downturn has thrown a scare into millions of Americans. Novice investors are watching the news from Wall Street and wondering if they have any business being in the stock market anymore. And if not, what then? Veteran personal-finance author John F. Wasik has carved out a niche for himself dispensing time-tested, commonsense advice for the average middle-income investor and for working families-in other words, the overwhelming majority of Americans. Here, Wasik focuses on protecting, and even growing, your assets even if the market hunkers down for a long cold spell. His timely wisdom focuses on trend-proofing your portfolio, capitalizing on inescapable demographic shifts, identifying the long-term winners, value investing, dividend reinvestment, and dollar-cost averaging. For the millions of Americans who want to stop worrying about their money, The Bear-Proof Investor is a lifesaver.