If people on here really believe that there's some secret government conspiracy between the government and big business. (accountant, credit)

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by Jean Paul Getty

Then why not invest in the stock market? You can become rich like the "evil" 1%. You can ride their coat tails.

I do believe in those conspiracies (and the title of this thread barely skims the surface). Many of those 'theories' are actually facts. Just because the mainstream media ignores them doesn't mean they're untrue. Yet I also invest in the stock market. The money system, as currently set up, is rigged to benefit a tiny elite. At the same time, unless I'm going to move to an area and become self sufficient in land and food (not easy to do), I don't have much choice but to participate in the money system.

I don't really think it's the 1% running the show. It's more like the .00001%

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by Reynard32

The government works to advance the interests of the nation.

So they tell us.

[snowtired14]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

This is why you're poor.

The forward march of technology is going to continue. Automation is going to continue to make businesses more productive. The affluent people who possess the capital that is investing in the automation will reap 100% of the rewards. The bottom half to bottom two-thirds of the country who lack 21st century job skills are going to be going backwards.

Over the long term, private equity outperforms the stock market. Over 25 years, PE returned 13.4% against the Russell 2000 Composite 9.8% or the S&P 500 10%. So it's equities, not just the stock market. It typically costs $100K+ to buy your way into a big PE firm like Carlyle, KKR, or Blackstone; and similar to buy your way into the better venture capital firms.

But venture capital is big risk and can lose big too, so the 1% are able to absorb losses. Most of us have to pick and choose carefully and moderate our risk, unless you're a gambler we're not as likely to get into the PE game.

[bpollen]

Originally Posted by Jean Paul Getty

Then why not invest in the stock market? You can become rich like the "evil" 1%. You can ride their coat tails.

Yes, they are. And yes, people do.

But someone who sees a person being killed by an axe.....doesn't go out an invest in axes and that makes the murder okay.

[Tujuleez1]

Originally Posted by Jean Paul Getty

You don't see millionaires going broke during corrections.

That's like saying you don't see a pool empty during a dry spell. But if all you have is a glass of water...

[Chance and Change]

Research before laying out your money, this is good for people with lots of money and those who are working class investors.
I've seen people buy properties, and earn well, as well as people who have become slum lords and profit well, but they won't fix the properties.
When it comes to investing, BE CAREFUL - one can watch any number of scams on the media, where people have been completely wiped out.
If its too good to be true and offers something outrageous in profit, one had better gather a great deal of information FIRST, before investing.
People forget too easy: Think of Madoff, Stanford, and the long list of others who put up a stature of self and people bought the illusion and found themselves wrapped in a pyramid scheme, with a high % of loss, of which even the low % of their principal return took years.

The game has been around a long time, one can read much on the crash of 1929 and one can read much on the crash of 2007. These are REAL events, that cost the nation vast amounts, maybe some don't remember the 1980's saving and Loan, which resulted to a huge government bail out.

Some play the game with margins, and some win and many loose, there is much I don't understand of various financial instruments, therefore I'd not venture to touch them.
We've seen in the past 30-40 years so many companies buying up their competitors, or buying up companies to extend their brands, some over leveraged, some over built and some were left holding vast inventories. All amounting to massive debt, that does not just vanish, it become a burden on the over-all society. Covered up by other collusive financial instruments.
The countless TRILLIONS wiped out in 2007, is still wreaking havoc, and a great amount of that spins in the undercurrents as people try and make it up or cover it up. It's still a Loss.
How many Pension funds have been turned over to the Pension Guarantee Company? how many have seen their funds suffer massive losses and threatned the pensions many had come to rely upon?

PBGC pays monthly retirement benefits to approximately 631,000 retirees of 3,800 terminated defined benefit pension plans. Including those who have not yet retired and participants in multiemployer plans receiving financial assistance, the PBGC is responsible for the current and future pensions of about 1.3 million people

What is the % of pension one receives once the Pension Guarantee Company or any other Insurance company or Pensions take over? This is important to know, because it can change your life plans drastically.

As for individual investors, it will always depend on how much you have to invest and what you actually invest in. This requires monitoring, or one may suffer losses they did not anticipate.

Always be aware of the fast talker, who does not provide clear and concise answers that are verifiable.

[mkpunk]

Originally Posted by Tujuleez1

That's like saying you don't see a pool empty during a dry spell. But if all you have is a glass of water...

Exactly. Also SOME millionaires do go broke during market corrections too. Not all are safe, some were business owners that were swept away in the flood called the market correction and invested poorly or needed to cash out far too soon. Those of us who don't have the money to invest enough can't. Not everyone is given good enough wages to save for a rainy day even if we want to.

[rruff]

Originally Posted by lieqiang

It sounds like a line from Star Wars.

Use the Force...

[rruff]

Some info on historic stock volatility and returns: Another Look at the Total Return Roller Coaster - dshort - Advisor Perspectives

[ukrkoz]

OP, there is one glitch in your title.
Government is not in conspiracy with corporations. Government is owned by corporations. And not just by what you see in say Forbes people. By folks that never advertise their wealth, never show their faces on magazine covers, and laugh at Gateses and Buffets. Those are trillioners.
Those are the global economy owners. THEY control stock market and do whatever is needed for THEM with it.
That being said, good luck there. Not saying you can not make money. Saying - for each one that did, there are likely thousands that lost.
Btw, I don't think "on your $7.50" had anything to do with your particular income. I think it was just a general statement. Chill.