Herald-Times, Bloomington, Ind., Brian Werth Column.

By Brian Werth, Herald-Times, Bloomington, Ind. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Jan. 6--Veteran, novice and even reluctant stock market investors all are in the same boat these days, seemingly up a grimy creek without a paddle.

After three straight years of stock market declines and a woeful performance last year, will 2003 bring a nearly unprecedented fourth year in a row of declines?

Or will markets finally rebound from steep losses in 2002? The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 16.8 percent; the S&P 500 was down 23.4 percent; and the Nasdaq fell 31.5 percent.

Wayne Schuman, president of Monroe Financial Corp. in Bloomington, has no clear crystal ball, but said there are some historical perspectives that show …