Why you Don’t Need the Stock Market to Get Rich (2024)

Why you Don’t Need the Stock Market to Get Rich (1)

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Ditch the stress of the stock market and ignore the popular investing ‘wisdom’ with safer investments

As a stock market analyst for nearly a decade, this one is going to hurt. I have spent a good part of my professional career helping people make sense of the stock market game and how to pick the best stocks.

Turn on the TV and the only financial news you’re likely to hear is about the stock market. It’s almost a given that you must be ‘in the market’ if you’re going to reach your financial goals.

Everyone invests in stocks…and most people do it very poorly.

Why you Don’t Need the Stock Market to Get Rich (2)

A study by investor research firm DALBAR found that the average investor earned an annual rate of just 3.7% over the 30-years to 2013, a period over which the S&P 500 increased at an 11% rate annually. Ten-year returns (shown above) were even worse with a stock/bond blended return of just 2.6% annually.

Why do investors continuously throw their money at the stock market and struggle for painfully-low returns?

The ironic truth in all of this is that you may not need stocks to reach your financial goals and feel rich.

Get Rich the Easy Way without the Stock Market

Why you Don’t Need the Stock Market to Get Rich (3)It’s understandable that people would look to the stock market for financial freedom. Over the long-term, stocks have outperformed most other investments. The 11% annualized return in stocks over the three decades to 2013 would turn $10,000 into a $229,000 nest egg.

So investors skimp and save to open a stock trading account. More often than not, they fall victim to the Top 10 Investing Myths, end up paying huge fees and ultimately lose money.

But investing doesn’t have to be a stressful attempt to constantly ‘beat’ the stock market.

It all has to start with a Personal Investment Plan to find out how much you’ll need to meet your financial goals and how much you can save each month. After putting together an investment plan, a lot of investors are surprised how low a return they actually need to meet their goals. Working through my own financial goals, I found that I need an annual return of just 4.2% a year and really don’t need to take the higher risks in the stock market and commodities.

Investments Outside the Stock Market Game

Bonds of the highest-rated American companies are paying upwards of 5% for 30-year investments. These are loans made to solid companies like Wells Fargo and The Walt Disney Company which are not likely to default on their obligations. Yields on lower-rated companies in the ‘high-yield’ category offer returns of 6% with only slightly higher risk.

You receive an interest payment twice a year and the return of your investment when the bond matures. Bonds are safer than stocks because they offer a contractual return and bondholders get paid before stockholders even in the event of a bankruptcy.

Going a little further from conventional investment but still within bonds is the new opportunity with investing in p2p loans. These are just like corporate bonds except are made to individuals for personal loans and have returned just over 8% for loans made over the four years through November 2013. I recently updated an interview with one p2p investor that has made an average 12% annually over the last six years.

Investors on Lending Club InvestingWhy you Don’t Need the Stock Market to Get Rich (4) are earning an average 7.9% return on loans across all risk categories. Pick loans from lower-risk categories and you can still see returns well above corporate bonds. Investors pay no fees on their portfolio and it’s a great investment for regular cash flow.

Low Volatility. Monthly Cash Flow. Solid Returns. Invest In Lending Club Today!Why you Don’t Need the Stock Market to Get Rich (5)

Search for return on home ownership in Google and you’d get the idea that owning a home is a terrible investment. Don’t believe it!

Besides the non-monetary benefits to home ownership, the return on owning your home is actually around five percent.

Why you Don’t Need the Stock Market to Get Rich (6)

  • You’ll make about 5.5% from not paying rent, calculated on a 30-year loan with 20% down on the median home price.
  • Most of the opinions on the internet about home ownership only use the after-inflation price appreciation, called the ‘real’ return. This isn’t right though if you’re comparing it against returns on stocks and bonds which are ‘nominal’ returns and don’t account for inflation. The nominal return on home prices would be the 2.73% annualized inflation over the last decade plus the additional 0.2% appreciation above inflation.
  • Property taxes, maintenance and insurance are going to cut into your return but are partially offset by the benefit you’ll get on your income taxes.

A conservative 5% annual return on bonds and home ownership over the next 30 years will grow an initial investment more than four-fold. Put $5,000 into an investment account each year and you’ll have a $332,000 nest egg at the end of three decades. That’s more than most people have at retirement and a lot better return than the average stock market investor earns.

I’m not saying you need to avoid stocks completely to find a stress-free path to financial freedom. Follow these 10 Investing Basics to avoid the misinformation you’ll see from most sources and you can still benefit from solid returns in the stock market. Don’t feel you have to be invested in the stock market and put together a personal investment plan that will meet your needs.

Why you Don’t Need the Stock Market to Get Rich (2024)

FAQs

Why you Don’t Need the Stock Market to Get Rich? ›

Small Businesses

If you're trying to become rich without the stock market, consider investing in an existing business. “Investing in small businesses can be a rewarding way to build wealth without venturing into the stock market.

Can you get rich without stock market? ›

Small Businesses

If you're trying to become rich without the stock market, consider investing in an existing business. “Investing in small businesses can be a rewarding way to build wealth without venturing into the stock market.

Is the stock market a good way to get rich? ›

Investing in the stock market is one of the world's best ways to generate wealth. One of the major strengths of the stock market is that there are so many ways that you can profit from it. But with great potential reward also comes great risk, especially if you're looking to get rich quick.

Why doesn't everyone get rich in the stock market? ›

The main reason why is due to the absolute amount of money you need to risk to get rich in stocks. Even if your $5,000 stock investment goes up 50%, that's only $2,500. But if your $500,000 rental property goes up 20%, now we're talking a significant $100,000.

Do we really need the stock market? ›

The stock market helps both businesses and investors by: Offering companies a place to raise money to help grow their business and the economy.

How much money do I need to invest to make $100 a month? ›

If you want to bring home an average of $100 per month ($1,200/year) in super safe dividend income, simply invest $13,800 (split equally, three ways) into the following ultra-high-yield stocks, which sport an average yield of 8.71%!

Can a normal person get rich from stocks? ›

Can You Make a Lot of Money in Stocks? Yes, if your goals are realistic. Although you hear of making a killing with a stock that doubles, triples, or quadruples in price, such occurrences are rare, and/or usually reserved for day traders or institutional investors who take a company public.

How much do I need to invest to make $1000 a month? ›

A stock portfolio focused on dividends can generate $1,000 per month or more in perpetual passive income, Mircea Iosif wrote on Medium. “For example, at a 4% dividend yield, you would need a portfolio worth $300,000.

Do stocks make millionaires? ›

One common hope for growth investors is finding the stock that will make them millionaires with a small investment. Tech stocks like Amazon and Microsoft have accomplished such feats for long-term investors.

Do people become millionaires from stocks? ›

Investing in the stock market remains one of the most tangible ways to become a millionaire. It is available to everyone, and it does not require luck, a rich family background or entrepreneurial genius. The only differentiating factor is the number of years it takes every individual to get to those million dollars.

Do billionaires invest in stock market? ›

With a family office, billionaires let someone else manage many aspects of their wealth, including buying stocks. But even within a family office, a billionaire can direct financial experts to purchase specific company shares.

Why do billionaires keep their money in stocks? ›

Stocks and Stock Funds

They seek passive income from equity securities just like they do from the passive rental income that real estate provides. These millionaires simply don't want to spend their time managing investments. Ultra-rich investors may also hold a controlling interest in one or more major companies.

How hard is it to get rich from stocks? ›

You can get rich by investing in stocks – but it will take time. For example, consistently investing in the S&P 500 over a 12 to 15-year period could mean you may become a stock market millionaire. Investing in individual stocks might make you wealthier faster.

Is investing $1 in stocks worth it? ›

Investing $1 a day not only allows you to start taking advantage of compound interest. It also helps you to get comfortable with investing and develop the habit of putting your money to work for you. As you can see, that single dollar can make a huge difference in helping you to become more financially secure.

Is it wise to stay in the stock market? ›

While volatility can be tough to stomach, the market is safer than it often seems -- as long as you keep a long-term outlook. In the short term, the market can experience extreme ups and downs. But over decades, it's incredibly consistent at earning positive total returns.

What happens if nobody wants to buy a stock? ›

Typically, this happens in thinly traded stocks on the pink sheets or over-the-counter bulletin board (OTCBB), not stocks on a major exchange like the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). When there are no buyers, you can't sell your shares—you'll be stuck with them until there is some buying interest from other investors.

How do billionaires get cash without selling stock? ›

2. Portfolio loans. In this option, the concept is the same as was just discussed, except an investment portfolio is used as collateral instead of a home, and no assets need to be sold taxably to access cash. In fact, this is often what billionaires do — take loans against their company stock.

What is the quickest way to build wealth? ›

One of the key ways to build wealth fast -- and over the long term -- is to earn passive income. And one of the best ways to generate passive income is to own one (or several) rental properties.

Can I be wealthy without owning a home? ›

According to experts, owning your own home certainly isn't a prerequisite for building wealth.

How to become rich in 5 ways? ›

In this article, we consider how to become rich slowly by looking at these five key steps:
  1. Invest in your financial education.
  2. Create and stick to a financial plan.
  3. Avoid debt and start an emergency fund.
  4. Invest consistently in a diversified portfolio.
  5. Increase your income.

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