OMG. Someone who actually thinks the same way I do!!!! I’m so happy. I say these things to people and I’m deemed a socialist and get harassed…… Many many crooks out there… for example, put options, etc. Look at the events surrounding 9/11…. many, many very crooked people made a killing off of put options based upon the predicted/ planned events surrounding 9/11…. and that is just the tip of the ice burg. Many people got rich prior to the housing crash and pulled out just in time, while the rest of us have lost our life savings. I’m feeling a little “delayed” these days as well when it comes to investing…… but I’m trying to learn from mistakes as well.

A good chunk of my investing is in ETFs. Those are funds that track indexes but trade like stocks.

I also do hold individual stocks because my DH wanted to do it this year. I agreed as a compromise.

Do I believe that every company has corrupt people running it? No. I am not sending my money to investment brokerage houses.

I think you are sort of not understanding the difference between investing in a brokerage house like Smith and Barney (ie owning their stock) versus using them to purchase mutual funds.

You need to understand that no company controls an index fund like the S & P or Nasdaq or total market index fund. They track the indexes and hold the stocks based on it’s weight in the market. This is an unbiased investing strategy.

Each index fund invests in different things. There is a total market bond fund index. There is an MSCI which is the European version of our Dow.

I believe that many people invest in the stock market or else we would not have an economy. The average return for 80 years is 10% in a total market. So if you had invested in 1930 after the crash you would have made an average of 10%.

Do you understand the difference between investing in brokerage houses you are talking about Alice and index funds or individual stocks?

Also you can buy individual bonds and bond funds.

You need to read investing for dummies. To fully understand the difference between what you think is Wall Street and what people invest in.

By the way to invest in brokerages you need typically a minimum of $500k, or at least a $1 million to get help.

When you send your money to these investment brokerage houses, do you really know what they are doing with your money? Apparently, they are gambling with it. What kind of a return is that? Might as well go to Atlantic City and do your own gambling.

I don’t think a person who considers themselves normal would keep going back to Wall Street, keep on sending them money, keep on investing in the hopes they make a profit, when in reality they keep on losing their investment. Just doesn’t make any sense.

Surely there must be a better way?

I make mistakes. I’m not perfect. And I can’t help my own stupidity.

geese, you sound like a real smart gal.

not!

Previously I had contributed $6k but lost most of it in 2000-2003. Then I wasn’t eligible either from 2003-2005.

So I guess I should be happy we’re doing something instead of nothing.