One of the features of bear markets, in comparison to bull markets, is that the former tend to be shorter, lasting a little less than 10 months on average compared to the latter's 2.7 years. For investors who have $5,000 handy that isn't earmarked for emergencies, let's go over one of the many possible combinations of equities you could buy with that cash to generate solid returns over the long run. Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are a good place to begin investing in any market environment, including bull markets.