it is regulated by many the same groups who utilize the system, and so it is inherently corrupt.

  • AuroraZzz@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    21
    ·
    2 months ago

    Counterpoint. Your money is going to lose value to inflation and commodities are speculative and don’t have a labor force working for you. Invest in CDs if you are wary of using stocks/ETFs/options

  • TheOneCurly@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    17
    ·
    2 months ago

    “Should not be” in an abstract sense, sure. In cold reality, I don’t see what other strategy someone has to actually retire. Safer investments don’t have anywhere near the same returns.

  • satanmat@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    2 months ago

    Sigh. It hurts that I agree with you; only because you’re right.

    However it does try to achieve equality in its corruption. ???

    Do not muck about with individual stocks. Stick to index funds

  • someguy3@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    2 months ago

    Downvote because this isn’t unpopular, it’s plain wrong and financially bad advice - that if anyone takes will kill their retirement.

    Short term it can be up and down (nonsense if you want), but long term over decades it’s the best way to invest your retirement money. And we need to since the demise of Defined Benefit pensions. With Defined Contribution “pensions” we need to save our money in vehicles that grow it.

  • CarbonatedPastaSauce@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    2 months ago

    My 401k balance disagrees with you.

    The system is deeply flawed but I’m still going to retire with several hundred thousand dollars more than I would have if I had just put that money in savings.

    Don’t let idealism blind you to reality on decisions that have such far reaching consequences for your life. Put your money in index funds and vote for people who say they will improve the system.

  • PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    2 months ago

    See you’re absolutely right, but simultaneously, there’s no other system that allows your savings to potentially beat inflation, and at the same time, it’s impossible to completely stop inflation and deflating currency can actually have VERY BAD consequences for small markets not able to operate during spending strikes. Even a federally managed pensioner’s fund based on a Norway style sovereign wealth fund will inherently rely on this inherently corrupt system to preserve people’s hard work and savings against inflation long term, they’re just gonna be kinda smarter about it and able to be fired if they fuck it up or act too obviously corrupt.

  • reddig33@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    2 months ago

    It amazes me that companies aren’t forced to pay a certain percentage of profit as dividends.

      • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        2 months ago

        There’s a tax on gains realized or something, right? But you’re right, I think, that taxing each transaction would do a lot to help redirect wealth from the ultra rich. I’ll consider it further, but I think you’ve persuaded me.

  • HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    2 months ago

    funny thing is that before all the retirement went into it it sorta made sense but now the whole thing is a pyramid scheme kept afloat by the retirment plans. Its been wierd since the start of this millenium

  • Goodie@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    2 months ago

    Ypu sre right in that the stock market, especially the US stock market, is a cluster fuck.

    But it’s a cluster fuck that mostly goes up, with solid returns over the last 10-20 years in index funds. I’m not going to cut my nose to spite my face on that, especially when the populous alternatives, like being a landlord, tend to have serious ethical concerns.

    For examples of why the market is fucked, something your argument clearly lacked, the biggest indicator for me is that news of large buys/saells tend to move the market much more than the actual buy/sale.

    (Personal theory, derivatives pretty much control the market, and a buy/sell doesn’t interact with calls/puts typically, but the news of a sale gets people to interact with calls/puts)

  • Bgugi@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    2 months ago

    Ambiguous should:

    We “should” be able to rely on an immutable and reliable system to provide for us when we are old. Like a government that gives a fuck or something.

    Without that, you “should” still make safe and sane financial investments, even if the system is rigged and corrupt, because no suitable alternative exists.

  • BallsandBayonets@lemmings.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    2 months ago

    ITT: I’m personally benefiting from the corrupt system and I can’t imagine that will ever change so the stock market is a good thing.

  • solsangraal@lemmy.zip
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    2 months ago

    ah the old ‘post a popular opinion in /c/unpopularopinion’ gag

    never change reddit lemmy

    • originalucifer@moist.catsweat.comOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      2 months ago

      i actually thought this unpopular as i get shit on repeatedly in threads stating it … that and, ya know, every corporation and the US govt decided it should be this way

      no need to be a dick about it.

  • shamrockpreacher5@reddthat.com
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    2 months ago

    100%, it’s gambling at a rigged casino. Silly money pushing silly money from pleebs, index funds might have worked for the early boomers but not since the early 00s

  • Todd Bonzalez@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    2 months ago

    This is such a vague opinion that serves only to state itself without regard to justification, so without examples of what you are talking about to discuss, the only argument I can offer is “I disagree”, and my own take on the stock market.

    The stock market has always experienced volatility, but some stocks are safer than others. Investing stocks in reliable funds long-term is a proven way to increase the value of your earnings. Bad experience as a retail day-trader are expected, and not a reflection of long term investments in funds administrated by knowledgeable financial professionals.

    The only thing that could end the trend of diversified portfolios appreciating in value is total economic collapse, but the loss of my investments would be the least of my worries in that scenario.