70-80% of retail investors lose money in the stock market according to articles I have read. The SEC study indicates that 80% of daytraders do so, 10% break even, 10% make money.
From what I've seen those numbers are about right. I can recite horror stories of people who lost the entire account, 3 million $ in the bubble break and these were bright, overeducated professionals.
If the gov. would allow individuals to invest in the market instead of social security then IMO in 40 years one would see
1. Hordes, millions, of 65 year olds who are flat broke and "retired" lining up in soup kitchens everywhere. The new, hot internet style growth industry would be "survival maintenance for broke old people". "Food for the Poor R US" would be the new ebay.
2. A few Trump, Buffet, Lynch clone trillionaires would be circling around the block in cars that cost more than a mansion feeling smug.
In the stock market, money flows from the unskillful to the clever, legally or otherwise.
There is another economic problem with this whole idea. It involves capital allocation and Return on Investment. When capital is in oversupply, much of it is misallocated into various scams, snake oil factories, dumb ideas etc. Eventually the excess capital problem is solved as it is squandered and vaporized to ashes. Just look what happened in the Y2K. A huge influx of money into the market and economy would create a huge bubble for sure. Then my acquintenances could lose another 3 million when that bubble bursts.
Besides which, at this point in time, anyone is free to toss as much money into the market as they can get a hold of, including borrowing on margin. Plus, the IRA plans allow a significant inflow every year.
Social Security may have its problems but the rule is. IT CAN ALWAYS GET WORSE.
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