Do stock market gains really help avg Americans?

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It is reported that the top 10% of Americans own over 80% of stocks. This includes money Americans have in pension and 401k funds.

The latest good news for Main Street (more jobs, higher wages) hurt Wall Street.

Is there a disconnect?
 
Quote:
Do stock market gains really help avg Americans?

They might, if an average American would invest in stock market.

Sadly, average American chooses to blow his/her money away on brand new cars every couple of years and the latest iPhones and other tech gadgets instead of putting it away and investing it.

Quote:
The latest good news for Main Street (more jobs, higher wages) hurt Wall Street.

Is there a disconnect?

There is no disconnect at all. Higher wages will lead to one of two things:

1. reduced corporate profits

or

2. higher product pricing / inflation


It's all connected.
 
I think the main problem of the avg Americans is "me me me" and "spend spend spend"-more then you bring in....

Then "the Jones" family....

I'm not talking about health problems or life just happening.

Now, I don't think you ever answer if you invest or not?
 
The stock market is and always has been a speculative market based in large part on enthusiasm (or lack of) from the players. Don't let the large short term changes affect your stance, just hang and it always goes back up.

BTW, the Fed predicts 5% plus growth is coming, that's why a lot moved to bonds from the stock market...
 
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
They do if the "avg American" is investing in the stock market.

...May I add long-term?
 
Originally Posted By: ZZman
It is reported that the top 10% of Americans own over 80% of stocks. This includes money Americans have in pension and 401k funds.

The latest good news for Main Street (more jobs, higher wages) hurt Wall Street.

Is there a disconnect?

You seem to have a problem with even mainstream folks that are doing well.
 
By top 10% are you talking about personal wealth? If you are then you should realize the connection. If the wealthy own stock then they likely got wealthy by owning stock.

Every single person in the USA can open an account with Fidelity and trade stock for about $10 a trade. There is absolutely no reason why the average citizen isn't reaping the rewards of corporate ownership. Throughout the 1980's the stock market hovered (Dow 30) around 2000. This was an entire decade. Today the market is at 24,xxx. While the companies listed on the Dow 30 change regularly, the growth of this index fund is indisputable. This reflects a heck of a lot of wealth building.

I feel that people should educate themselves on how companies work and what it means to be a share holder. The stock market isn't like hitting the lottery. There are rarely lump sum increases overnight. If I can invest a years salary and have it grow 50%-75% in ten years then that is money that I didn't have to work a minute for. If I take a small percentage of my income and invest it in a common index fund every payday for my 35 year working career then I am going to have a heck of a lot of growth that I didn't have to work for.

Wealth is NOT an us versus them situation. I never have felt dislike toward the wealthy. I have always sought to be like them.
 
I think in general, a simple stock market is to everyone's benefit. What we have now with companies making/skimming billions in profits on convoluted financial products, and using computerized super fast reactionary trading, is only skimming money from the average investor.
I think with the billions of unearned dollars flying about, no political party will change the rules to reduce the complexity of the financial sector...
 
Let's look at it conversely... remember what happened to the average person when the stock market collapsed in 1929 and again in 2009.
 
It can.

If you have a pension, chances are the funds are invested in the market.

If you have a 401(k), IRA or a 529 plan for your children, you are in the market.

There is no reason why the average American cannot benefit from the market.

The reason why higher wages (and some other figures to be honest) can slow the market is fears of inflation.

Bonds are considered to be less risky than stocks. When bond prices drop, their effective yields rise, making them more desirable relative to stocks.

The concern with high wages is for inflation. The Fed has been pumping money into the economy through several rounds of quantitative easing. I believe the Atlanta Fed forecast some high expected growth numbers. All of this has people concerned about inflation. Combine that with the markets seeming to just keep going up, and there are some who are looking to take some profits should there be a permanent drop.

For me, with retirement some 10-15 years in the future, I simply look at this like a sale at Macy's. I took some of my raise and some of the money I'm saving in 2018 due to the tax cuts and putting it in my 401(k)

So for me, this is a good time for the markets to cool off and drop in price a bit. My increased contributions will get me more shares in the funds I'm buying.

So even market downturns can work for the average American if they keep their cool, don't panic and buy responsibly.
 
Originally Posted By: Kestas
Let's look at it conversely... remember what happened to the average person when the stock market collapsed in 1929 and again in 2009.


As long as you didn't sell in 2009, you probably did ok. You did even better if you were buying when everyone else was selling.
 
Originally Posted By: Kestas
Let's look at it conversely... remember what happened to the average person when the stock market collapsed in 1929 and again in 2009.


Well I wasn't around in 1929, but I was fully vested in 2008/2009. Took a good beating, I think it took a couple years to fully come back, but in the last few years it's been roaring. Still up from last year I guess and that's why you also take money out once in a while to spend it.
 
Depending on weather or not you have a 401K or a ROTH IRA and weather you are not so greedy you won't get out and take your profits. I made a tidy proof and have been out of the market for awhile now!
 
Originally Posted By: pandus13
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
They do if the "avg American" is investing in the stock market.

...May I add long-term?


Why not.......
 
What is the average American?

I would say they do not directly affect them since the average American has no direct investment in the stock market.
Indirectly, it affects us all.
 
Never got a job from a poor man either …

Some folks still think “pension” is a company savings account … what invested in a whopper CD ?
 
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