It is not about the break out. It is not about up or down.
It **is** about stopping the theft of your wealth.
Ways my Mom could have invested her money in 1965 to 2018:
- housing $24,000 -> $1,500,000
- gold $24,000 ($35) -> $900,000 ($1325)
- S&P 500 $24,000 ($86) -> $735,000 ($2636)
- mattress stuffing $24,000 -> $24,000
- T-bills $24,000 -> $117,000 (3%)
- bars of soap $24,000 ($0.16) -> $225,000 ($1.50)
https://finitespaces.com/2018/04/07/why-we-create-sound-money-and-governments-wreck-them
Note how US dollars have 1/5 to 1/60 the value they had in 1965.
The only investment that outperformed a stable measure of value (gold) was real estate. And only because her house happens to be in one of the hottest markets in the US.
Housing, gold, and stocks look like good protectors of your wealth.
Gold has the least risk and was the second best “performer”.
The thing you must get past is that inflation (dollar devaluation) is not wealth or even a return on investment.
The above “investments”, except for housing and gold, lost purchasing power.
It is not about big numbers! It is about purchasing power.