Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The lesson from U.S. markets is simple: Invest intelligently and consistently and prosper over the long term.

Stock market returns vary by time frame but the tendency is clear:
Past 10 years (2016 – 2025): 15.75%
Past 20 years (2006 – 2025): 12.39%
Past 30 years (1996 – 2025): 11.80%
Past 40 years (1986 – 2025): 12.74%.
S&P 500 historical performance: Since its inception in 1928, the index has averaged an 10.02% annual return. However, it wasn’t until 1957 that the index included 500 stocks. Since then, the average annual return has been 10.59%.
📌 Source: NYU Stern School of Business

Anyone can invest, those who don't or who choose speculation instead typically are the ones complaining about their poor financial positions. The U.S. markets create wealth and are accessible to anyone.

I just took a look a long time series showing the ratio of GNP to GDP. It has never varied from from 100%. The stock market has massively outpaced both GDP growth and GNP growth. It isn't clear to me how this is possible over such a long period.

These are impressive numbers -- but how can average market returns be such much higher than average GDP growth? Curious for some insight on this issue from somebody with a deep background in economics.

Part of where you may want to begin is to remember that before 1991 we didn't use GDP. We looked at GNP. However, value of a US based company is impacted by the GNP. GDP, focusing solely on domestic product, does not pain the entire picture.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because we are an ultra capitalist country. We celebrate those who have succeeded and hide this who "failed"

I spent a year in Ivory Coast. Americas propaganda is real. Sure Ivory Cost is a very poor country. But some part of DC and Maryland are as run down as some of the poorest neighborhoods I saw in the capital city there.

This is just false. Stop with the lying.

I have never been to Ivory Coast. But boy we have some serious poverty in this country. Look at the percentage of Americans consider poor. It's high. I know our media enjoys showing us pictures of Africans with flies over their head and bellies the size of cantaloupe to make us feel better.

Then the question is, is the chronically unemployed Redneck dependent on public services and living in a dwelling with inadequate heat, better off than the starving African ? Keep telling yourself that they are better off. PP is correct. We do everything we can to "hide" the undesirable poor.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The lesson from U.S. markets is simple: Invest intelligently and consistently and prosper over the long term.

Stock market returns vary by time frame but the tendency is clear:
Past 10 years (2016 – 2025): 15.75%
Past 20 years (2006 – 2025): 12.39%
Past 30 years (1996 – 2025): 11.80%
Past 40 years (1986 – 2025): 12.74%.
S&P 500 historical performance: Since its inception in 1928, the index has averaged an 10.02% annual return. However, it wasn’t until 1957 that the index included 500 stocks. Since then, the average annual return has been 10.59%.
📌 Source: NYU Stern School of Business

Anyone can invest, those who don't or who choose speculation instead typically are the ones complaining about their poor financial positions. The U.S. markets create wealth and are accessible to anyone.

These are impressive numbers -- but how can average market returns be such much higher than average GDP growth? Curious for some insight on this issue from somebody with a deep background in economics.

Anonymous wrote:The lesson from U.S. markets is simple: Invest intelligently and consistently and prosper over the long term.

Stock market returns vary by time frame but the tendency is clear:
Past 10 years (2016 – 2025): 15.75%
Past 20 years (2006 – 2025): 12.39%
Past 30 years (1996 – 2025): 11.80%
Past 40 years (1986 – 2025): 12.74%.
S&P 500 historical performance: Since its inception in 1928, the index has averaged an 10.02% annual return. However, it wasn’t until 1957 that the index included 500 stocks. Since then, the average annual return has been 10.59%.
📌 Source: NYU Stern School of Business

Anyone can invest, those who don't or who choose speculation instead typically are the ones complaining about their poor financial positions. The U.S. markets create wealth and are accessible to anyone.

Anonymous wrote:
401K money. Where would they go?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a society of consumers and easy and cheap crecdit make it so everyone can be an uber-consumer. But it has its consequences.

"Average Balance: As of late 2025, the average cardholder carries a balance of approximately $6,700 to $7,900.

The "Revolving" Gap: For the roughly 49% of households that carry a balance from month to month, the average debt is much higher, sitting at $11,413 (up about 4% from the previous year)."

I got into this trap of easy credit. I had high credit limits after my divorce and ended up raking $65K of personal CC debt and then car loan on top of that. This is when I only make $60K/year. I need to get a second job because the interest is killing me. It is all my fault.

Self awareness is an amazing skill to have. Most people with your level of debt are not self aware of their own debt. Their debt keep climbing, but strangely enough they think it will mysteriously disappear.

Since you are self aware, start looking for a way out. There is always a way out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one has given you the simple answer.

It's because the economy has been doing well and it reflects in the value of the company's revenue.

Think about it long term. If you're a fortune 500 company, in order to keep up with inflation and costs, they always increase their prices to their clients. That increased revenue / profit is why their stock value goes up.

The economy is absolutely not doing well. Literally all of the US stock market growth in 2025 was driven by AI companies and AI hardware suppliers which are a house of cards that will eventually collapse, the only question is when.

Sigh . . . the economy is mostly but not fully doing quite well. AI is a part but just a part. The top 60% for the most part are doing well.

The Economy is not doing "well" what planet do you live on?

Unemployment is rising fast, Inflation as well. The $ is crashing, our National Debt is rising at an exhorbement amount ......
Go take Econ 101 and get back to the people with brains.

Inflation year-end 2024 was 3.75%, for year-end 2025, 3%. So not rising.

Unemployment has edged up a bit. 4.1% year-end 2024, 4.4% year-end 2025. So not rising "fast."

And, the S&P rose 18% in 2025, the NASDAQ was up 21%, the DJIA was up 14.9%, and the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index returned 7.3%. Those are not the hallmarks of a problematic economy.

To the prior PP's point, much of that gain is due to the Mag 7 (not even including other AI stocks). From Google's AI:

The Magnificent Seven stocks (Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, Tesla) have driven a massive portion of S&P 500 gains, recently accounting for over 60% of positive performance in key periods. These seven companies represent roughly 34%–36% of the total S&P 500 market capitalization as of late 2025, up from ~12% in 2015.

If they experience a correction . . .

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one has given you the simple answer.

It's because the economy has been doing well and it reflects in the value of the company's revenue.

Think about it long term. If you're a fortune 500 company, in order to keep up with inflation and costs, they always increase their prices to their clients. That increased revenue / profit is why their stock value goes up.

The economy is absolutely not doing well. Literally all of the US stock market growth in 2025 was driven by AI companies and AI hardware suppliers which are a house of cards that will eventually collapse, the only question is when.

Sigh . . . the economy is mostly but not fully doing quite well. AI is a part but just a part. The top 60% for the most part are doing well.

The Economy is not doing "well" what planet do you live on?

Unemployment is rising fast, Inflation as well. The $ is crashing, our National Debt is rising at an exhorbement amount ......
Go take Econ 101 and get back to the people with brains.

Inflation year-end 2024 was 3.75%, for year-end 2025, 3%. So not rising.

Unemployment has edged up a bit. 4.1% year-end 2024, 4.4% year-end 2025. So not rising "fast."

And, the S&P rose 18% in 2025, the NASDAQ was up 21%, the DJIA was up 14.9%, and the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index returned 7.3%. Those are not the hallmarks of a problematic economy.

To the prior PP's point, much of that gain is due to the Mag 7 (not even including other AI stocks). From Google's AI:

The Magnificent Seven stocks (Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, Tesla) have driven a massive portion of S&P 500 gains, recently accounting for over 60% of positive performance in key periods. These seven companies represent roughly 34%–36% of the total S&P 500 market capitalization as of late 2025, up from ~12% in 2015.

If they experience a correction . . .

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a society of consumers and easy and cheap crecdit make it so everyone can be an uber-consumer. But it has its consequences.

"Average Balance: As of late 2025, the average cardholder carries a balance of approximately $6,700 to $7,900.

The "Revolving" Gap: For the roughly 49% of households that carry a balance from month to month, the average debt is much higher, sitting at $11,413 (up about 4% from the previous year)."

I got into this trap of easy credit. I had high credit limits after my divorce and ended up raking $65K of personal CC debt and then car loan on top of that. This is when I only make $60K/year. I need to get a second job because the interest is killing me. It is all my fault.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because we are an ultra capitalist country. We celebrate those who have succeeded and hide this who "failed"

I spent a year in Ivory Coast. Americas propaganda is real. Sure Ivory Cost is a very poor country. But some part of DC and Maryland are as run down as some of the poorest neighborhoods I saw in the capital city there.

This is just false. Stop with the lying.

Anonymous wrote:The sooner this stock markets enter a significant correction the better. But I don't foresee a significant correction anytime soon because the current wall street gangsters making national economic decisions will keep juicing up the market

Anonymous wrote:Because we have the strongest military. We can impose our will on others.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one has given you the simple answer.

It's because the economy has been doing well and it reflects in the value of the company's revenue.

Think about it long term. If you're a fortune 500 company, in order to keep up with inflation and costs, they always increase their prices to their clients. That increased revenue / profit is why their stock value goes up.

The economy is absolutely not doing well. Literally all of the US stock market growth in 2025 was driven by AI companies and AI hardware suppliers which are a house of cards that will eventually collapse, the only question is when.

Sigh . . . the economy is mostly but not fully doing quite well. AI is a part but just a part. The top 60% for the most part are doing well.

The Economy is not doing "well" what planet do you live on?

Unemployment is rising fast, Inflation as well. The $ is crashing, our National Debt is rising at an exhorbement amount ......
Go take Econ 101 and get back to the people with brains.

Inflation year-end 2024 was 3.75%, for year-end 2025, 3%. So not rising.

Unemployment has edged up a bit. 4.1% year-end 2024, 4.4% year-end 2025. So not rising "fast."

And, the S&P rose 18% in 2025, the NASDAQ was up 21%, the DJIA was up 14.9%, and the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index returned 7.3%. Those are not the hallmarks of a problematic economy.

To the prior PP's point, much of that gain is due to the Mag 7 (not even including other AI stocks). From Google's AI:

The Magnificent Seven stocks (Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, Tesla) have driven a massive portion of S&P 500 gains, recently accounting for over 60% of positive performance in key periods. These seven companies represent roughly 34%–36% of the total S&P 500 market capitalization as of late 2025, up from ~12% in 2015.

If they experience a correction . . .