So, the S&P 500 is up 20.49% this year. Reading financial porn, and even these Mustacian forums there seems to be a fear that such a good year cannot be followed by another. I do not know what the next year will hold, but in my investing lifetime the years: 1989 (31.69%), 1991 (30.47%), 1995 (37.58%), 1996 (22.96%), 1997 (33.36%), 1998 (28.58%), 1999 (21.04%), 2003 (28.68%), 2009 (26.46%), 2013 (32.39%) all had better returns. Yes it includes the dot com era, but also the housing meltdown. Of these 10 years, two years: 1989, 1999 where followed by negative returns. What does that mean for 2018? Nothing! But neither does the fact we had a nine positive year returns in a row mean we will have a down year. If we do have a down year (not a collapse) it may not be such a bad thing.