Yo My Peeps. Look, I'm trying to tell y'all to get into this market and build a portfolio that will grow in value over the next 3 to 5 years so that you can build up some bank. There are two economies, the Market and the Main Street. But only one of those economies is used for building wealth and the other is playing with our time so that we can pay bills.

I can't keep working for a check and a 401K. I know that the market isn't the only way to build wealth, but it's a place that has many opportunities that can be leveraged at your own pace, skill level and risk tolerance. Owning a business is not something I desire. I want to handle my business and not stress about customers, staff, or advertising.


Some folks worry about stock prices. I get it. Tesla, Google, Apple, and other stocks can be expensive. So, if you can't buy whole shares then buy peices of a share. How? Get with a brokerage that offers factional shares via brokerages like M1 Finance, Fidelity, Schwab, or Robinhood. Invest $25, $50 to $100 a month or any amount as you go. M1 and Robinhood are great for that kind of method becasue they are easy to use. You ain't getting rich in a day, but you can build up your money overtime, and as you learning how to invest you'll build up the confidence to start trading - or just jump right in after learning the fundamentals.

Look. I'm not selling anything - I'm serious, I want us to win and be able to break away from the 9 to 5 job in 2 to 3 years and do this full-time. If you want to try Robinhood or M1 Finance apps use the links below. You'll get a FREE Stock with Robinhood or FREE $10 to invest with M1 Finance. We both win - FREE!

1. Robinhood: https://join.robinhood.com/jeromec182
2. M1 Finance: https://m1.finance/qYNTiinhlfkG


Anyway, I'm decent with the long-term stock investing and will only going to get better overtime. But I'm also learning options trading and Forex, so is my wife. I've built up a nice portfolio of stocks below and I add to it weekly. But it's time to get serious about a plan to move into day trading by the end of fall 2021 (maybe) and into full-time trading in 2022.

I'm just a student learning from other people that trade full-time. And I'm doing my own research to help supplement the knowledge. So, I'm suggesting that y'all to find someone that can teach you for Free or under $100 a session. I've listed the YouTube links below for Stock, Options and Forex trainings.


These are the stocks in the long-term portfolio that I'm building. I need to have at least 15 to 25 different stocks that will allow me to manage the risk. I'm in the tech sector so that's where I hang my hat in the market.


AAPL
BABA
BYND
CRWD
ETSY
FTCH
GLW
HUBS
LOW
MSFT
NVDA
OSTK
SBUX
SNE
TGT
TMUS
ZM
TSLA


These Classes are long but work the time.
Options Trading for Beginners: https://youtu.be/7PM4rNDr4oI
FOREX Trading for Beginners: https://youtu.be/Xb4KWuHmHBQ
Socks Invesitng for Beginners: https://youtu.be/y7iVTTH5tOA


Again, if you want to try Robinhood or M1 Finance apps use the links below. You'll get a FREE Stock with Robinhood or FREE $10 to invest with M1 Finance. We both win - FREE!

1. Robinhood: https://join.robinhood.com/jeromec182
2. M1 Finance: https://m1.finance/qYNTiinhlfkG



Peace and Blessings!

Prayers up to everyone with spreads on etfs.

.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

Im not saying that you have to be high to play options, I'm saying options IS crack. Outside of calls and shorts, I don't play with the devil. High highs and low how-do-i-tell-my-wife-our-great-grandchildren-will-be-poor? lows.

Rolled my 401k from the last gig into a Roth.

I like it so far.

.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

Jokers you to clown me because of it, but now we're in our 40's and cats are looking at the fact they only may see 40 more Summers.



.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

Investing is the only way to keep the value of the dollar in the long term.

Case is dropping keys to the future. Our economy is changing. Work has definitely changed.

If those companies are all you're invested in, you are exposed to a lot of unnecessary risk.

You shouldn't be 100% in one sector

hes trying
hes learning
through practice and reading he’ll get it

He can take it or leave it.

I applaud him for learning

>If those companies are all you're invested in, you are
>exposed to a lot of unnecessary risk.
>
>You shouldn't be 100% in one sector

That's just one of my long-term self-directed IRA accounts and those stock have been preforming for the last 5 to 10 years. And as I said, I'm still building it. I have several brokerage accounts on other platforms and a managed account that I pay a brokerage so managed.


What sectors are you in?

No sectors for me. Just low cost, broad index mutual funds.

Vanguard Total Stock Market
Midcap Value
Target 2050 fund
And a little in their total international fund

.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

You have to have serious money to make serious money.


Putting a few $100 dollars a month in investments is good. I encourage everyone to do it if they can. It can set you up for a more comfortable retirement.


But you aren't going to big ballin or anything. That's why I don't like the language of "building wealth" in this context.

I actually pointed out several ways to make money in the market, not just stock. I know cats pulling in 5G's a week on Forex and 2G week on Options. But that's not everyone off the rip. You have to start somewhere and become socialize to the idea and psychology of trading and investing. And then, you can start to slam big money down.




.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

I tried to share investing tips with SOOOO many of my black friends. Most are addicted to promotions, cash in hand and seeing a paycheck.

It is really hard to convince people of the investment pathway to success. It seems to easy. And truly it is too easy. We have just not been given a pathway to wealth.

We are used to working, usually for free.

You know damn well ain’t no one trying to click on “make a few bucks in the stock market” when they start these post.

Half the people on this board are ballin’

Let this man cook.. lol.

.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

The stock market can absolutely make you rich. I know people who invested at 20 years old with only $1000 and a little per paycheck who are now millionaires, based on investments.

Statistically, most millionaires are measured on their 401k, you don't need a ton of money to get rich. You need to consistently invest and rebalance your account.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/21/the-number-of-401k-millionaires-hits-an-all-time-high.html

I can attest to watching my investments grow dramatically and I only started by putting $50/paycheck in my 401k and investing in 90 percent equities.

And I wouldn't consider 401k millionaires wealthy.


>The stock market can absolutely make you rich. I know people
>who invested at 20 years old with only $1000 and a little per
>paycheck who are now millionaires, based on investments.
>
>Statistically, most millionaires are measured on their 401k,
>you don't need a ton of money to get rich. You need to
>consistently invest and rebalance your account.
>
>https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/21/the-number-of-401k-millionaires-hits-an-all-time-high.html
>
>I can attest to watching my investments grow dramatically and
>I only started by putting $50/paycheck in my 401k and
>investing in 90 percent equities.

I maxed out my roth at $6000/year
I matched my work 401k? The thousands are incremental.

You don't need a lot of money to build wealth.

I am curious, why aren't 401k's millionaires wealthy? My ex boyfriend (non black) got a payout from his grandfather's 401k when he died. My ex bf was like 10th down the line to get paid and still got 10k. That is how much his grandad's 401k had amassed!

That is definitely wealth.

Such an odd detail but whatever.

For the record my Black ass grandfather left me 10K and he had way more than 10 grandkids... about 15 or 16

The point is that wealth building requires long term planning, thinking and in some cases inheritance.

I am not sure what your grandad did. But kudos to him for thinking about his descendants. Did you take that 10k and invest it, buy a home or pay off bills?

I am not judging or shaming but pointing out that often non black people do have an inheritance. Most black people I know pay off debt with an inheritance.

We have opportunities to grow wealth, many of us choose short term gratification.

Stocks, 401k, life insurance, estate planning and an inheritance should be common knowledge by the time every person is 25 years old. I didn't learn everything until I was about 35. But I did invest early which is a good head start.

and we just did a refi for a 10 year loan.

I have a 3 and a 4 year old and they already have a nice amount saved away for their college funds.

I damn sure expect to leave my kids a lot more than my parents and grandparents left us. House will be paid off before they go to college and the plan is to buy another property as well. Now that our kids aren’t in daycare our finances are looking lovely. I know this won’t last forever and kids will have other expenses but if we can save 60% of what we spend on daycare and invest it we should see a nice return over the next 10 years.

I’ve been blessed to marry into a family that knows the value of owning property. My wife’s fam owns a ton of property and I’m leaning on them for the best way to win. My FIL is a retired Nuclear Engineer so he is caked up and my MIL owns a few properties and knew exactly when to sell investment properties right before the bubble burst.

I definitely wish I would’ve invested back in 2008 when I had a few stacks but I had no idea about diving into the market right after it crashed. That shit sounded wild dumb back then but of course.. I was younger and trying to have fun instead of thinking long term.

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/02/27/examining-the-black-white-wealth-gap/

This is for people over the age of 45. Most black people 40 and under have a net worth of $0.

Now I don't think humans can be summed up in a dollar figure. But if we want to increase our value, we must re-educate ourselves about money.

Money is not stressful or confusing. It just requires a strategy and early information. I know high earning black people who have barely any money in savings. "Wealthy" black athletes have proven that even a millionaire income cannot guarantee long term wealth.

https://news.wttw.com/2020/06/10/study-black-families-have-1-cent-every-dollar-white-families-have



“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

.
.

If you got a million in your 401k, all you've done is ensured that you can withdraw about 45k a year for 20 years after you retire. That is not wealthy living.

Wealthy (to me at least) is having more than you plan to ever spend.

You should have a pension if you've been working for 25 years.
You should get social security.
Your home and car should be paid off.

If you are collecting 45k on top of everything else without having to work, I consider that wealthy. If you can leave something to your children and still enjoy your golden years, health, partner and hobbies, I consider that wealthy.

Not sure if you are talking Jayz beyonce, Richard Branson wealth or millionaire next door wealth.

45K.. on top of other investments is wealthy to me as a retiree.

But see.. we got people in here using celebrities and billionaires as the barometer for wealth.

If we can have our house paid off in 10 years and invest that money on top of what we are already investing? We will be straight.

That's living, comfortably.

Y'all putting all these if, ands, and buts in it. And that's the point.
A wealthy person isn't a mortgage or car payment away from being not wealthy.

and when you no longer have any bills besides utilities you have the flexibility to do much more than the average American.

I think America spends so much time comparing themselves to the top 5% they forget about the bottom 75% who would love to have 45K a year in retirement just from a 401K.

A person with that much an a 401K surely has other investments as well.

There is no debate here. Regardless if you are rich or poor. You need to save and invest that savings.

If you never get rich, wealthy, affluent, 1%, then so be it. But you will absolutely need another source of income as you crest over 55 years old. Better to plan now then wait until it is too late.

My goal is not to be rich. Being rich or wealthy is not the end all to the human experience. I prefer to have perfect health over money. But I also want to have a steady flow of cash, a safe/stable home and to have fun with my loved ones.

If someone told you that by saving $50-100/month for 20 years, your 40 year old self would have $500k? Would you do it? Most likely yes. Now we are telling our 30-40 year old selves to save $100-$200/month for 20-30 years, so we can be comfortable in our 50's and 60's.

Why is this even an argument?

2. we do a poor job of presenting the information by not considering the audience

for example, finance people often speak in terms of, for just X amount per month or per day. well, people dont save per month or per day, they save per paycheck

to someone thats not used to saving (forget about investing), $25 to $50 per paycheck sounds a lot better than $50 to $100 per month. they can visualize per paycheck better than per month

im writing a book now that addresses these communication issues

Stop saying we don’t embrace economics.

Plenty of us do

Just present the info and let those who want to use it.. use it.

One thing I realized is to pay myself first. Waiting until all the bills are paid or investing what’s left at the end of the pay period is a bad idea. That money usually gets spent if it’s in the checking account.

he asked WHY its even an argument
well, thats WHY

should i mute the reason because of how it looks on paper?

we run from math
our kids run from math in college
we ignore economics
and think its just going to happen for us

the book im writing IS presenting the info
is it not?

this is a DISCUSSION
he asked, i answered

i believe economics is THE KEY to change everything within our culture
the one thing we overlook for every other direct solution
im not going to keep that to myself because our culture is uncomfortable talking about it

did you really think i dont consider myself a part of our culture?

like you said, think about who you’re talking to.
someone who has said numerous times here that looking in the mirror can sometimes produce the change you keep asking for

I maxed out my roth at $6000/year
I matched my work 401k? The thousands are incremental.

You don't need a lot of money to build wealth.

I am curious, why aren't 401k's millionaires wealthy? My ex boyfriend (non black) got a payout from his grandfather's 401k when he died. My ex bf was like 10th down the line to get paid and still got 10k. That is how much his grandad's 401k had amassed!

That is definitely wealth.

We really need to stop shrugging at being a millionaire like it’s normal.

Most of us will be in our 60s and or 70s. If we are not millionaires by then, we can only blame ourselves. The map is clearly laid out on how to have wealth in old age.

Barring any unpredictable financial pitfalls, saving, investing and spending less is a no brainer for financial security.

learning some basics and paper-trading in thinkorswim... but would obvs love to connect and learn more...

Like, I make a post about getting money and folks come out the woodwork to take passive jabs or to advise, but have never posted up a single link for any lessons or volunteered to teach anyone. Like get on with that mess.

It's time to stop trying to One-Up folks and start helping people. Te economy damn near crashed into the ocean and folks are lost out her struggling, while folks in the market got rich in March after stocks fell and everyone in the market went on a buying spree.






.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

I have learned the hard way that many people are comfortable with a certain mindset.

I share information and walk away. I now realize why wealthy people don't spend too much time around low income people. It is a mindset.

I am right there with you!

>I have learned the hard way that many people are comfortable
>with a certain mindset.
>
>I share information and walk away. I now realize why wealthy
>people don't spend too much time around low income people. It
>is a mindset.
>
>I am right there with you!


The market is a great way to become financially independent and work for yourself. You can treat investing like a career and still have time to do what you want. We have been trained to WORK for MONEY as slaves for others, while the others have been coached on how to put their MONEY TO WORK for them.





.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

back in 2016 when AAPL dipped to 90 someone here, might have been case or someone said "good time to buy"

I bought a few shares and kept buying - I'm only at about 9 shares but that teeny amount lead to a gain of about 2.5k - PLUS with the upcoming split...I'm looking good. it was free money for doing nothing but holding my nuts.

.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

I got some, but mad late..

I have a Berkshire fund so I have some apple stocks in it..

Jumped in made late at around 1800+ for 1 share. That 5:1 Slit will be sweet. I had to take the long view and stop pumping Kool-Aid.


.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

I'm still kicking myself over that one..

Remember back then, people were reeeeeally skeptical about the company and for good reason.

I think it was back in 2014 up to about 2016 when it was yo-yoing so much. Folks got in, folks got off, folks got in, folks got off. You had to have really have some deep faith to ride that out.

Making the right move is not buying some shit that tanks..

Wasn’t like I would’ve invested all my money but if I put some of it in Tesla and kept feeding it.. smh

Had to replace the center screen in my Model S last year, slightly annoyed and sold some shares figuring I'd make them pay for it. That $1K is worth around $8,500 now.

Still have more (bought ~$220) but woof that hurt.

I think Case is doing a great public service here. Investing will be our only social security, basic and/or universal income.

The stock market is now accessible to all via cash app, robinhood and all the other apps that now make day trading available. I am closing all my accounts with a brick and mortar bank and putting my money in online banks.


I notice that my portfolio now outpaces my salary. I have been investing since 2005. It took awhile but now my investments bring in $6000/month. I have not liquidated anything. But by the time I am 50, I will be able to maintain my current lifestyle based on my investments at a 4% withdrawal rate.

Jobs will no longer look like how they look now. College and education will be more about refining skills.

Everyone should have a stock market portfolio of at least $1000, a 401k, a roth IRA, bitcoin and a savings.

American money won't be worth much for long.

In two years, I want to be putting my money to work for me and using money as tool to help build wealth.


.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

However, remember. And this is a fact, 70-80 percent of traders lose money. So it is not a piece of cake, but you are in the right direction.

Key things. Don’t keep everything invested all the time. You must Know when to take profit, especially before earnings, because earnings could go either way. If earnings are bad , there will be a pullback. So know the earning dates of the stock you are invested in.

Dollar Cost Average and average down. By investing monthly or a certain amount instead of one lump sum, you will catch up and down price points which will give you price protection.

Always Hedge...always have a hedge.

People always think they can beat the market... no way. It is operated by super computers that run all types of formulas within microseconds. So long term is the best way to trade.

I Worked in the stock market for 6 years.

>However, remember. And this is a fact, 70-80 percent of
>traders lose money. So it is not a piece of cake, but you are
>in the right direction.
>
>Key things. Don’t keep everything invested all the time. You
>must Know when to take profit, especially before earnings,
>because earnings could go either way. If earnings are bad ,
>there will be a pullback. So know the earning dates of the
>stock you are invested in.
>
>Dollar Cost Average and average down. By investing monthly or
>a certain amount instead of one lump sum, you will catch up
>and down price points which will give you price protection.
>
>Always Hedge...always have a hedge.
>
>People always think they can beat the market... no way. It is
>operated by super computers that run all types of formulas
>within microseconds. So long term is the best way to trade.
>
>I Worked in the stock market for 6 years.


GREAT COMMENTS. My goal is to build a well-balanced Stock portfolio for the long-term. I'm not pulling anything out of that one for at least 3 to 5 yrs. On the other side, I want to keep learning how to trade and get really good at trading Forex. My wife is learning Options. I still take the options training with her, but I want to be focused on the Forex like a pro.


THANKS FOR DROPPING THE SCIENCE!

If people tell you they are successful at it, they are lying.

You can lose everything in seconds because of flash crashes that will jump your stop loss order. Forex is straight gambling. You have to get in and get out, and it’s based on heavy news and info, which leads to flash crashes( crash big for seconds to minutes then go back up).

Options are pretty safe because you can’t lose more than what you put in , and you have weeks to months ( depending on the length of the option) for the option to be in the money.

Just make sure you understand the Greeks when dealing with options, especially the delta and gamma... time decay is important. But it is definitely a safe investment.

Good luck, and don’t let anyone talk you out of your plan, as long as it is well calculated.
Warren Buffet makes billions just by buying stock of good companies and holding.

“ the stock market is patient people making money off of impatient people”

Do you think that people lose all their money on Forex because of greed and the lack of using proper Risk Management (Stop Loss, improper lots, % of investment, ect.)? Or, do people lose all their money because the market is so volatile?


Thanks for the caution too.

All the above.

Most people try to scalp a few points here and a few points there, and stick to that discipline.

It’s been years since I traded it, but I had it set up where I would have my take profit at a bigger gap than my stop loss. You want want your losses to be short, no more than 10 to 15 percent.

So let’s say for every point I’m gaining ten cents, I would have my take profit at 50 to 100 points (5 to 10 dollars) for each trade or order, with a goal of making 20 to 50.00 a day. And then my stop loss would be at 15 to 30 points, usually no more than 15 points, which would be a 1.50 to 3.00 a loss

You got cats trading shit at like 5 to 10.00 a point !! Thinking greed, then a flash crash happens and wipes them out, and then a margin call is put out.

If you do trade forex, go small ( cents not dollars)!! And do no more than 3 trades a day.

>All the above.
>
>Most people try to scalp a few points here and a few points
>there, and stick to that discipline.
>
>It’s been years since I traded it, but I had it set up where
>I would have my take profit at a bigger gap than my stop
>loss. You want want your losses to be short, no more than 10
>to 15 percent.
>
>So let’s say for every point I’m gaining ten cents, I
>would have my take profit at 50 to 100 points (5 to 10
>dollars) for each trade or order, with a goal of making 20 to
>50.00 a day. And then my stop loss would be at 15 to 30
>points, usually no more than 15 points, which would be a 1.50
>to 3.00 a loss
>
>You got cats trading shit at like 5 to 10.00 a point !!
>Thinking greed, then a flash crash happens and wipes them out,
>and then a margin call is put out.
>
>If you do trade forex, go small ( cents not dollars)!! And do
>no more than 3 trades a day.


.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

and they're supposedly making money but I never got the details...


This one chick I know was talking about how easily she makes money throughout the day on her phone and I asked how and she sent me a link to this dude I was skeptical...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-PrqIqokj4

One of those products where people claim they are making a ton of money but never show their work.

People think they can jump in cold and cake up.

Wealthy people and White People have been playing for FOREX for decades and no one ever compared to a pyramid scheme. The moment Black People start doing it, now it’s a scheme or some kind of magical trickery. Help me understand what you mean by this bro.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

is where the pyramid stench is strong.

But most of my investment money is in index funds and some bonds. Especially for a noob, index funds are the way to go.

When I had more time I started off with individual stocks but it can get tough to find things worth buying when the market's doing well and I always struggled with selling.

I still have a couple individual stocks for excitement. But my index fund (VTSAX-super low fees are crucial) is automated to invest every two weeks regardless of my emotions. Occasionally will buy extra after big drops or if my bank account gets too big. Compounding interest is magic as long as I don't overthink it. Sometimes I'll sell to pay cash for big purchases. (Used car, metal roof, solar panels, etc.) Everything's going well and I have more time to not stress about it.

as in, the money I am leaning my future on is all in aggressive/boring/boringly aggressive/aggressively boring ETFs

individual stocks, crypto, alternative stuff is money I DCA'd out to stack and fuck around with, if gains are made...great! If loses are high, I would be mad but ultimately over it.

https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/CRM?p=CRM&.tsrc=fin-srch
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

Who Owns Stock in America? The Answer May Surprise You
Jim Wang
Updated March 10, 2020
Some links below are from our sponsors. Here's how we make money.

One of the fascinating parts about the stock market is that practically everyone with an opinion about it is, more or less, right.

Is it a good way to build wealth? Yes.

Can it ruin fortunes? Also, yes.

Is it a Ponzi scheme? Kind of, in the sense that part of the reason it keeps going up is that there's more money flowing into the markets than out of it.

Are there better options? With the same liquidity and risk levels, there aren't many (if any?) better choices. Unless you pick thinly traded shares, you can usually exit a pedestrian-sized position in seconds. Try that with real estate or any other asset.

Given all that, you'd expect the stock market to be popular and for there to be a lot of participation. But, as you'd also expect, you need discretionary money if you want to invest in the stock market. You have to satisfy the more pressing needs in Maslow's hierarchy before you can put it in an index fund at Vanguard.

So, who do you think owns stock in America?

Our Data Sources
A great source of this information is the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF). The most recent SCF dataset was released for 2016. We use this data when we looked at how millionaires made their money – it contains a lot of juicy information you can't find (reliably) anywhere else.

The relevant section for us has to do with the ownership of financial assets. Financial assets include everything from checking and savings accounts to retirement accounts, life insurance, and other managed assets. We drill down into the section that includes ownership of publicly traded securities.

Only 51.9% of Families Own Stock
When you look at the entire population of the United States, fewer than 52% of families own stock. They can own it through a taxable brokerage account or a retirement account, but only 51.9% own any stock whatsoever.

The telling statistics is how this changes based on your percentile of usual income (Table 7 of the SCF spreadsheet):

Of the top 10% of income earners, 94.7% own stock.
Of the 80-89.9% percentile of income, 85.3% own stock.
Of the 60-79.9% percentile of income, 73.6% own stock.
Of the 40-59.9% percentile of income, 51.8% own stock.
Of the 20-39.9% percentile of income, 32.5.6% own stock.
Of the bottom 19.9% percentile of income, just 11.6% own stock.
As for the median value of those holdings? For all families, the median is $40,000.

The breakdown is:

Of the top 10% of income earners, the median value is $363,400
Of the 80-89.9% percentile of income, the median value is $81,200
Of the 60-79.9% percentile of income, the median value is $32,400
Of the 40-59.9% percentile of income, the median value is $15,000
Of the 20-39.9% percentile of income, the median value is $10,000
Of the bottom 19.9% percentile of income, the median value is $6,000
(recall, the median income in the United States is just $63,179)

This shouldn't be surprising though. When the poverty line for a family of four in the lower 48 is $26,200, that doesn't leave much room for investing in stocks. You're too busy paying for housing, food, clothing, etc.

Most Hold Stock in Retirement Accounts
When it comes to ownership, 87.8% of those who held stock did so in a tax-deferred retirement account like an IRA or 401(k).

Only 26.9% owned individual shares of stock while 18.9% invested in a “pooled investment fund,” such as an index or mutual fund. Lastly, you had managed investment accounts, trusts, and annuities ownership at just 7.3%.

Where Do People Put Their Money?
If so few people own stock, and those that do own stock mostly hold it in retirement accounts, where do people keep their money?

Turns out the answer is not “in their mattress.”

Here's the breakdown of what assets Americans have: See LINK https://wallethacks.com/stock-ownership-in-america/ Table 3. Holding and values of assets, 2013 and 2016 surveys

You have to read that table very carefully. The “Percent holding” columns in the table above shows the number of people who have a particular asset – such as a vehicle, home, CD, etc. This isn't a measure of how much of their net worth is in a particular asset. In the columns above, in 2016, 98.5% of Americans have a financial asset of any kind.

The next two grouped columns, Conditional median value and Conditional mean value, explain the amounts in those asset types. In 2016, the Americans had a median of $23,500 in financial assets and $158,900 in nonfinancial assets.

What can we learn from this data?
For financial assets, almost everyone has a transaction account (checking, savings, etc.) and only half of all people have a retirement account. The next biggest category is 19.4% of Americans having a cash value life insurance policy.

The amounts are quite telling.

First, look at the massive difference between the conditional median and conditional mean! In the “Any financial asset” row, the median value is $23,500 whereas the mean value is $340,000! This shows there's a significant concentration in wealth. As the old joke goes, whenever Bill Gates walks into the room, the average person in that room is now a millionaire!

Once you get past that, we find a few items that confirm what we've known from other data sources. Primary residence and residential property make up a significant portion of one's net worth. From our look at average net worth, we know that most Americans have the majority of the net worth locked away in their home.

We also see a slip in the nonfinancial asset category where only 63.7% of Americans own a primary residence. That's down from 65.2% in 2013. Fewer people own homes. This is a trend that is likely to continue as older Americans downsize and younger Americans delay or avoid homeownership.

Another gem? 85.2% own a vehicle, which is the most commonly held nonfinancial asset.

13% of Americans own business equity, which is any privately held business, a rise from 11.7%. More Americans with businesses as starting a business have become increasingly easier and entrepreneurship gains in popularity.

Conclusions
Building wealth is difficult but it's made harder given the financial scenario many young people are in. The SCF also discusses other areas of American's financial lives and one such area is debt and debt burden. Overall debt obligations decreased from 2013 to 2016 with one exception – education debt (yes, student loans). That exploded.

Median debt declined by 4% in those three years but the median value of education loans rose by 15% (from $16,500 to $19,000). The mean value rose 15% too, from $29,800 to $34,200. The share of families with education loans also increased from 20% to 22.4%. If you look at the outstanding student loans, courtesy of the St. Louis Fed, we're looking at a total of over $1.636 trillion (as of January 8th, 2020).

We see this in our low rates of stock ownership, decreasing rates of homeownership, and other social measures like when people choose to get married, start a family, etc. These traditional milestones are being delayed for a variety of reasons but when it comes to the financial ones, it's hard to invest when you are carrying around an education debt. That's likely why we see high rates of retirement assets but relatively lower rates for non-retirement investments.

This also means that when we conflate the economy with the stock market, only half of all Americans participate. The stock market might be hitting record levels but for half of Americans, it doesn't matter. For the other half, many likely have such low levels of market holdings that it won't have an impact even given the rise.

We see this in the data in several places. If you look at the before-tax family income, distributed by income sources, by percentile of net worth, we see the following breakdown:

Amount of before-tax family income, distributed by income sources, by percentile of net worth, 2016 surveys

Of the bottom 75% of Americans, less than 1% of their income was derived from interest, dividends, or capital gains. Compare that to the top 10%, where 18.5% of their income came from interest, dividends, and capital gains!

When the stock market goes up, 75% of the Americans don't participate in any meaningful way.

Just read an article today about a family that got a low housing appraisal. Then they took all the black art and pictures of black family members out of their house. They got another appraisal that was $100k above the previous one.

Also remember reading an article about how homeownership doesn't benefit Black families as much as it does white ones, so investing in the market and other financial instruments was a smart move cause no one can tell what color you are when you invest in them. Plus their value is set by the market, not by the color of the person owning the stocks.
______________________________________________________________________________

"To Each His Reach"

but.....

Fuck aliens.

Where do you start with investing?

Edit: $100 monthly

Pick any financial institution with low fees or go through your employer.
https://www.schwab.com/ira/roth-ira/what-is-a-roth-ira
https://www.tiaa.org/public/

Start with $100/month. Take $1000 of your tax refund every year and put it in your roth.

Choose 60 Percent equities 20 percent Lifetime 10 Percent Other

Each year, attempt to max out. In 2-5 years, you will have $20k or more working for you.

Dope thanks.
I get paid on Friday I’m going to start.

Automate it, don't overthink it or watch too close and you'll be fine. This is money for years from now, cheer for drops because you're getting more for your $100. High-five!

>Choose 60 Percent equities 20 percent Lifetime 10 Percent
>Other
>

Two great ways to invest in stocks and purchase fractional shares of stocks like Apple, Tesla, Netflix, Google, Amazon, etc. you can use Robinhood or M1 Finance. I like both. M1 also has premade pies with stocks in them, so you can invest in multiple companies at once.

You can use Robinhood
Robinhood is very efficient at getting your cash into the market. All customers have instant access to deposits and immediate access to funds after closing positions, and your buying power is increased as soon as you initiate a deposit into your account.
https://robinhood.com/us/en/
Get a Free Stock just for opening account at $0 cost to you via: https://join.robinhood.com/jeromec182

or

You can use M1 Finance
M1 Finance offers a unique combination of automated investing with a high level of customization, allowing clients to create a portfolio tailored to their exact specifications. You can create portfolios containing low-cost ETFs or use individual stocks – or both.
See How it works: https://www.m1finance.com/how-it-works/invest/
https://www.m1finance.com/
Get Free $10 just for opening account at $0 cost to you via: https://m1.finance/qYNTiinhlfkG




.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

With a Roth IRA you make money Tax free because you are putting your money in after taxes. You won't get taxed again unless you take it out before retirement age. You can also pull your money, (not the gains from investments), out for a house, college or life event.

With cashapp/robinhood and any other stocks, there are capital gains tax.

That means the moment you sell your stock, the government wants their piece. Also liquidating stocks is a bad move. Usually, you just want that stock investment to sit for as long as possible. https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/taxes/capital-gains-tax-rates


I say do both. Investing in a RothIRA is a like jumping into a safety net. Stocks are like jumping into a boat. One is pretty safe and wide. The other is narrow but a faster sail to your destination. Both will save you.

Good luck! Don't listen to the naysayers. I have over $500k in investments and still 20 more years to see it grow. I started when my salary was only $38k.

So that helps to, if you want to mange your own money.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

There are other similar apps/services as well like Wealthfront. These are called "robo advisors". They are made for people who are either new to investing or people who just want to invest as hands off as possible.

You can set up recurring deposits, and add goals that it will automatically tailor your risk level/asset mix to achieve.

I would recommend looking into it. I started out using it just putting a few hundred bucks in. They also have a high yield savings account that I put most of my emergency cash in because its a lot higher interest than my standard savings account (though the rate used to be a lot higher).

I remember sndesai, I think, had a really great series of posts that explained how the financial system actually works. I wish I could re-read it now after several years of learning more about investing.

The biggest point I took away is that the value of the bond market is many times bigger than the value of the stock market. Many (most?) wealthy people got that way by starting companies and taking them public. Very few people get wealthy just investing their own money. Wealthy people, however, preserve their wealth with bonds.

The stock market is a tool for businesses to raise money to do even more business... that makes the owners of those businesses wealthy as a byproduct. And we can go along for the ride (but usually after most of the action has already happened i.e. post IPO).

With proper perspective on how things are related, you can start to better understand why things are happening in the economy and what might happen next.

To that end, here is really good video about how our economy works

https://youtu.be/PHe0bXAIuk0

and another about how the richest families in the world perceive wealth and invest to preserve it indefinitely.

https://youtu.be/a4_U6bS-cU4

Anyway, I support the general idea of this post but I'd suggest putting the bulk of your money in broad market indices and only "gambling" on individual stocks with a small portion of your money.

It's mostly a rigged game but if you understand the house rules, you'll find your way to spots with better odds for you to win.

This was right after the crash in 2008. He kept stressing Mutual bonds as the best investment.

I approached him after the dinner and I could tell he was annoyed because he was looking for old money. He said “ignore everything I just said, invest in the stock market.. you have time to make a bunch of gains before switching to bonds”

I’m staying in the market for a while.

Once I get closer to “retirement” age I will move more money to bonds.

He's a doctor so he's making great money and he could probably just save his way to a nice early retirement if he doesn't blow it all on cars.

Anyway, we compared notes earlier in the summer and his retirement portfolio was actually UP, while mine was down like 5% bc I was 100% in stocks and the market hadn't fully recovered yet.

Turns out that interest rates had fallen significantly with the pandemic, making the value of my bro's bond portfolio increase.

If you look on a broader timescale, interest rates have been falling since the 80's... so that's been juicing the returns on bonds for a long time now... to the point that they're allegedly on par with average stock market returns (I need to do more study on this claim).

Traditionally, the stock market should be giving you higher returns since it's also riskier, but the financial markets are really weird right now. So I think the advisor was mostly sharing conventional wisdom while also showing his hand that he'd rather handle bigger nest egg.

.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

https://www.fool.com/investing/top-stocks-to-buy.aspx

https://investorplace.com/2020/06/10-best-long-term-stocks-buy-bear-market/

https://www.kiplinger.com/investing/stocks/601275/20-best-stocks-to-buy-new-bull-market

https://www.investors.com/research/best-long-term-stocks/

.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

>https://www.fool.com/investing/top-stocks-to-buy.aspx
>
>https://investorplace.com/2020/06/10-best-long-term-stocks-buy-bear-market/
>
>https://www.kiplinger.com/investing/stocks/601275/20-best-stocks-to-buy-new-bull-market
>
>https://www.investors.com/research/best-long-term-stocks/
>
>.
>.
>
>“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted
>me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee
>Strobel, The Case for Christ
>
>The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k
>
>Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

Never owned stock that split. Very excited to see what happens in the future with this now. Also, probably gonna buy more apple stock in a couple weeks. It's now back around the price that I originally bought in at.

when i got the notification late friday(or saturday dont remember) i figured it would move a lot on monday. would had been nice to buy more before then lol

Tesla stock doubled after the announcement... Apple kept going up as well, but not at the same rate

I bought a small amount a few months ago at $255. Its been crazy.

My best friend has 227 shares of Tesla. He has a Tesla too, so he’s been all in for a few years.
.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

I benefited from the APPL split and bought a bit more today.

>
>.
>.
>
>“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted
>me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee
>Strobel, The Case for Christ
>
>The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k
>
>Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

Actually, Apple opened the split at 125 and dipped to as low as 111. If they stay below 120 for the next week, I may grab a few more shares.
______________________________________________________________________________

"To Each His Reach"

but.....

Fuck aliens.

Tesla went down to $380 today, after going to all time high just a few days ago. I feel the stock will still rise, especially after September 22 when they announce their new developments with their battery.

Another stock that I have is DraftKings. It’s at $37 right now, but I’m betting that it goes up when football season hits and fans are playing daily fantasy football. I plan on dumping it though before October hits, just because I’m scared of a season cancellation.

Like someone said earlier, this post is dope and I appreciate it! Would post again.

Not sure about that one but like you said.. dumping it October makes sense.

I am not a broker or affiliated with giving any professional financial advice. This is just my humble opinion.

General Motors takes equity stake in Nikola, to build Badger truck
https://finance.yahoo.com/video/general-motors-takes-equity-stake-142201059.html

Nikola and GM team up to make this 900-horsepower super electric truck
https://finance.yahoo.com/video/general-motors-takes-equity-stake-142201059.html

Ford's incoming CEO wants the U.S. automaker to run like a Deere
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/fords-incoming-ceo-wants-u-155711156.html

.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

a while back and it’s been frustrating but my bet is eventually they figure out and produce these trucks.

I don’t own much but I’m going to keep feeding it.

UPDATE: Short seller Hindenburg alleges that electric truck maker Nikola is an 'intricate fraud' in new report
Published: Sept. 10, 2020 at 11:09 a.m. ET
By Ciara Linnane


https://www.marketwatch.com/story/short-seller-hindenburg-alleges-that-electric-truck-maker-nikola-is-an-intricate-fraud-in-new-report-2020-09-10?siteid=yhoof2&yptr=yahoo&fbclid=IwAR3ftBjI6Alh4HTO-8jq4z2w1wSWf8ACLJXjXyEcJiLRE8j0V1nmyDM5O28


Short seller Hindenburg Research published a report on electric truck maker Nikola Inc. NKLA, -9.30% on Thursday, accusing it of being an "intricate fraud" built on lies told by its Founder and Executive Chairman Trevor Milton over many years. Nikola shares fell 9% on the news. "We have gathered extensive evidence-including recorded phone calls, text messages, private emails and behind-the-scenes photographs-detailing dozens of false statements by Nikola Founder Trevor Milton," said the report. "We have never seen this level of deception at a public company, especially of this size." Nikola has misled partners by making false claims about the company's technology, including its hydrogen fuel cell batteries, which Hindenburg says never existed. The company is now planning to use General Motors Co. battery technology after signing a deal with GM this week, under which it will issue $2 billion of new shares to GM. "Nikola has been vetted by some of the world's most credible companies and investors," a spokeswoman said in emailed comments. "We are on a path to success and will not waver based on a report filled with misleading information attempting to manipulate our stock."


.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

I mean.. Facebook, Microsoft, etc.. were also founded on lies and stolen ideas.

Even if all this is true.. GM’s announcement should work out in the end.

.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/hindenburg-research-rejects-nikola-motors-explanation-as-tacit-admission-of-securities-fraud-140253710.html





“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

As long as GM is onboard they will be fine in the long run.

Short seller hatin cause they lost money on the GM deal. Stfu.. lol.

and they are pissed GM bought 11% and fucked up their short.

Now I’m not saying Nikola is clean on this but Bill Gates lied to get his first deal, Zuckerberg stole FB and Tesla routinely promised production numbers they know they couldn’t hit.

Just sayin’.. it really looks like Hindenburg is mad they didn’t make money on their play.

Just a nerdy, semantic thing, since this post is actually about the stock market.

.
.

“It was the evidence from science and history that prompted me to abandon my atheism and become a Christian.” — Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ Lecture: https://youtu.be/67uj2qvQi_k

Good News: https://www.goodnewsnetwork

but people have been lead to believe the stock market *is* the economy and that just is not true. It's an important variable, but the focus that has been placed on the stock market has lead to so many problems we are in now, and have had in the past.

Moreover, most economists don't even study the stock market - you can think of this like how criminologists don't actually study serial killers.

edit: I'm obviously late to the party here, but I just wanted to point this out, due to your title.