Worst Decade on Record for Stock Market

[Michael]

The U.S. stock market is wrapping up what is likely to be its worst decade ever.

In nearly 200 years of recorded stock-market history, no calendar decade has seen such a dismal performance as the 2000s.

Investors would have been better off investing in pretty much anything else, from bonds to gold or even just stuffing money under a mattress. Since the end of 1999, stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange have lost an average of 0.5% a year thanks to the twin bear markets this decade.

Source (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704786204574607993448916718.html)

The only brightspot here is that GWBush and the Republicans failed to enact one of their signature policies - personal accounts for Social Security.

That plan was all about Wall Street getting their hands on Social Security funding to invest in the stock market. The stock market was apparently running low on suckers and needed a new supply of them. Suffice it to say that Social Security funding already has enough problems with grubby politicians stealing from it - adding a bunch of Wall Street "masters of the universe" will only just add the number of thieves seeking personal enrichment.

[Americano]

Source (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704786204574607993448916718.html)

The only brightspot here is that GWBush and the Republicans failed to enact one of their signature policies - personal accounts for Social Security.

That plan was all about Wall Street getting their hands on Social Security funding to invest in the stock market. The stock market was apparently running low on suckers and needed a new supply of them. Suffice it to say that Social Security funding already has enough problems with grubby politicians stealing from it - adding a bunch of Wall Street "masters of the universe" will only just add the number of thieves seeking personal enrichment.

I still read forum posts where people want to forgo paying SS taxes and do their own retirement planning with that pathetic amount of money. Pointing out historical equity market returns of how many losers it takes to return an overall average 5-6% and the amount of investment capital required to fund a retirement on a 5% return doesn't dissuade them, they know they can do it. And they'll start right after their big screen's paid off at 18% interest.