The S&P 500 has dismissed (thus far) a failed Santa Claus rally by climbing to all-time-highs this week. But the VIX's low double digit position, even during the broader market's less-jolly, pullback into 2024, is a much more sure-footed warning historically, rather than a reason for investors to believe this time is different. The good news and not to look a gift horse in the mouth, pricing for protective hedges on stock and / or index holdings, is by and large, attractively cheap and a much stronger option than jumping in and out of the market imho.