There is a news article out today that is in all the major news services detailing how the wealth gap between whites and minorities has widened in the last 25 years. I think this story is very misleading because it is all about race when the real story should be about EDUCATION: people who have access to education are doing better than those who don't. This graphic should have groups split into "education" and not "race":
This story talks about skin color, politics, and all sorts of other issues that I won't discuss further because they have nothing to do with the stock market. However, stocks were mentioned twice in the article as being one of the reasons whites are doing better than some minorities.
Apparently whites are apt to have more of their money and savings in the stock market than minorities are. They might own individual stocks, 401K's, and mutual funds that have rebounded nicely since the crash of 2008. Minorities, on the other hand, are more likely to have most of their money in real estate (their houses) where we have seen valuations NOT go back up.
Stocks are never guaranteed to do well but over time they have always outperformed all other forms of investing. Everyone should have the opportunity to invest in them. It is also true that the earlier in life you start investing, your chances of making a good lifetime return are increased. However, it is understandably hard to get interested in the stock market if you don't have any money to invest! Why would someone pick up and read a copy of Stocks For Dummies if they don't have any money, right?
If there is anything you should take away from this it is that all kinds of education are very important. The basics of the stock market and investing in stocks should be taught early on in schools if we want to raise kids that will have a chance to do well financially in life. Everyone should have access to information about the stock market and how to invest in it.
Poor people not only don't have money to invest but it is also unlikely that they have the knowledge of HOW to invest it if they if their fortunes changed. The stock market is and always will be very confusing to most people and something that is looked at as a playground for the rich. In reality though, it is anything but that.
