The S&P 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped into a bear market as Wall Street reacted to runaway inflation and rising interest rates. Many stocks that are brimming with future potential have fallen sharply on recession fears, but economic downturns are a temporary phenomenon with little bearing on the long-term growth trajectory of a quality business. Given its scope and diversity, the S&P 500 is widely recognized as a benchmark for the broader U.S. economy, and an S&P 500 index fund allows investors to spread capital across a basket of blue chip American businesses.