General Discussion

FreeJoe

(1,039 posts)

23. Small trader, yes; small investor, not really

Mon Jan 16, 2023, 01:51 PM

Jan 2023

If you're trying to make money trading stocks, particularly with quick trades, arbitrage, and similar stuff, you are absolutely right. A small investor is at an almost insurmountable disadvantage to people that can front run their trades and trade much more quickly.

On the other hand, if you are talking about longer term investors, there isn't much of a difference. If your plan is to buy broad based index funds and hold them for years, which is what most investors should be doing, I don't see how you are at a material disadvantage.

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why is the stock market so important? [View all] AllaN01Bear Jan 2023 OP

Important to me because I put my retirement money in an investment account Walleye Jan 2023 #1

Because millions & millions of ordinary people have their retirement savings invested in it ? MichMan Jan 2023 #2

Because more than 140 million americans own stock? onenote Jan 2023 #3

... Faux pas Jan 2023 #4

Well, you're not wrong in regards to many penny stocks True Dough Jan 2023 #5

It's Faux pas Jan 2023 #18

Not all at all. Disaffected Jan 2023 #22

Greed True Dough Jan 2023 #34

How is it "a scam"? brooklynite Jan 2023 #6

But it would be silly to ignore the fact that electronic trading has created a Scrivener7 Jan 2023 #9

Small trader, yes; small investor, not really FreeJoe Jan 2023 #23

I DON'T do "high frequency trading" and our returns have been excellent brooklynite Jan 2023 #25

Yeah, I do fine too. But the stock market is not what it purports to be. Scrivener7 Jan 2023 #28

"only sensible because they are allowed to be by those who hold the reins. " brooklynite Jan 2023 #29

Game Stop was fun because it reversed the process, revealed it in all its Scrivener7 Jan 2023 #33

I'm not an economist but I think it would be better if LT Barclay Jan 2023 #13

Agree CountAllVotes Jan 2023 #10

Thank you! Faux pas Jan 2023 #17

Who's requiring you to use a "wealth management advisor"? brooklynite Jan 2023 #26

I've been a self-directed investor for more than 15 years True Dough Jan 2023 #35

I had an IRA that was in the stock market for a few years CountAllVotes Jan 2023 #38

Like it or not, it is how we finance most of our largest corporations... Wounded Bear Jan 2023 #7

YES! Faux pas Jan 2023 #16

because it determines the value of capital DBoon Jan 2023 #8

We are a market economy. NutmegYankee Jan 2023 #11

Well, kinda, IMO, we are a post-industrial Financials Market Economy. Model35mech Jan 2023 #14

It's necessary Elessar Zappa Jan 2023 #12

This! ProfessorGAC Jan 2023 #15

I'm not sure the ratio of re-sale stocks to primary offerings supports that Model35mech Jan 2023 #19

Imagine if you had to go to a farm to buy carrots. mathematic Jan 2023 #20

Because, like millions of others, I work for a company that is listed on the stock exchange. tinrobot Jan 2023 #21

So that gamblers can play legally and not have to work for a living and add value to society. usonian Jan 2023 #24

I don't gamble, and I worked for a living for 36 years and I invest in the market. brooklynite Jan 2023 #27

I work for a living thank you very much onenote Jan 2023 #30

I'll go a step further. WarGamer Jan 2023 #32

Many good answers below. WarGamer Jan 2023 #31

You could keep your money under your mattress True Dough Jan 2023 #36

Because it's the best indicator of the condition of billionaires assets. Lancero Jan 2023 #37

145 million American adults are invested in the stock market. They're not all billionaires. onenote Jan 2023 #39

And what percentage, pray tell, do these millions of Americans control? Lancero Jan 2023 #40

Yes, AA ownership of stock is less than white ownership. But a sizable % of AA families own stock onenote Jan 2023 #41

Pension funds. kairos12 Jan 2023 #42