Moneywise On Oneplace.com

Markets rise and fall—but not all cycles tell the same story. What do those ups and downs really mean for your investments?Scripture reminds us in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” Just as God designed natural cycles—the sun, the tides, the seasons—financial markets also move through cycles. While less predictable, these patterns help us understand where we are in the investing journey and how to prepare wisely for what’s ahead.According to Mark Biller, Executive Editor at Sound Mind Investing (SMI), the two most common market cycles are known as bull markets (when prices rise) and bear markets (when prices fall). But within those categories lie two distinct types of trends: cyclical and secular.Cyclical vs. Secular: What’s the Difference?“The terms might sound fancy,” says Biller, “but they really describe short-term versus long-term cycles.”Cyclical markets are the short-term ups and downs—periods that might last a few months to a few years.Secular m