If one thing is certain, it’s that bear markets are pretty common. Since 1929, the S&P 500 has experienced 26 bear markets (not including today, assuming it closes 20% off the market's high). That equates to a bear market every 3.5 years or so.

But, in terms of length, every bear market is different. Depending on how far you look back, the average bear market takes about 10 to 14 months to hit its bottom. And it takes a little over 3 years for the typical bear market to recover to previous highs.

So, the question is, do you think this bear market will fall within historical averages -- or is it an outlier?