The biggest con

Wall street is really a con game. It has always been somehow, but with the growth of retail investing, wall street has truly become a suckers bet. Why in the world would anyone invest his time and capital into a corporation he doesn't have any relationship with anyhow? Would you buy a car by merely checking the price on its sticker or would you do your homework?: Ask friends and acquaintance about the car's reliability, compare its price to other models, drive the car around for a while, check the car model past history...etc You don't throw away your money on cars to the first car salesman who comes around! You are aware of the fact that he is trying to sell you a particular car in order to get his commission; that's why you fight so hard to get the best possible deal available. Now, if you know allot about cars, you can go on, quickly gauge your pick and throw the money to the vendor and get away with your prize. You know about cars! That's the difference.
Most people just don't know much about the intricacies of the stock market. They have no ideas about the fallacious concept of GDP or CPI; and they cannot stand the mumbling of the so-called TVs experts. Yet, they are told that if they match their 41k or retirement account to a particular mutual fund, they can earn enough money to retire free of worries! Utter bunks!
Wall street is a big pyramid scam, a con game that always has to come out with new product to entice a newer fresher school of suckers. After one of its scheme falters and thousands of investors vow to never ever " play the stocks", ingenious financial architects are quick at work trying to develop new products that will enrich the big firms and the big banks.
Once upon a time, Wall Street was seeing as a repository of capital, a milieu where entrepreneurs and investors met to engage in value creation. On one side, the entrepreneurs, hungry for capital will seek the investors funds who were hungry for potential breakout innovations. The game and the scams existed then, as all market do, but only a few individuals risked their time and money for they were aware of the danger involved.
Nowadays, the propaganda is everywhere! Dow 12000! Apple stock at record high! Buy buy buy!

It seems as if the market, wall street, ignore what is going around the world. Nobody is self conscious in that industry, self aware! People make money, people lose money, but the game must go on. New suckers will fill in when the savings of past suckers are dried up. Recession? Depression? Stagflation? Big deal!

For the common individual out there filled with ambition and dreams, it is important to realize that Wall Street is not the place for you to fulfill those dreams. To truly make money on the Street, you must become a " seller of dreams" while maintaining a staunch realistic and pragmatic view of the world.
Of all the richest men on wall street, very few have attained their fortunes with their own capital! The only one that I know is Jesse Livemore and he lived more than 80 years ago. The Warren Buffets, Peter Lynch, John Bogle and others have been successful only to the extent to which they have been able to pull outside investors into their funds! This doesn't mean that they lack the skill necessary for investing, quite contrary; those individuals are tremendous geniuses and great role model. But, they needed your money to build their wealth and make billions for themselves!
You work for your broker! Your funds keep his kids fed and his wife happy! The difference is the extent to which he pays you back with profit or losses! Unfortunately, more people lose on wall street than they win! But it is a game isn't it?

I would like to pinpoint that, yes I am a very suspicious individual; I have always been!
" If your pitch works so well; WHY DON'T YOU USE IT YOURSELF TO MAKE A FORTUNE ?"
Why do you want me to invest in your fund? This is the reality of the street! Retail house compete with one another as to which one can sell his " system" to the greatest number of individuals out there. The most successful are those who can remain fat for the longest period of time! But, the bottom line is that you money feed the man on the other side!

Now, can you be a successful investor? Yes it is possible! But you must dampen your dreams of making the millions in a few weeks and the billions in a few years! That has never happened and will never happen. Like any other successful venture in life, it takes time, dedication, education, learning curves, and hard work to be come successful... Contrary to what the media tells you, Wall Street is no different. Calm your ardeur, and think for yourself.
I think people should approach wall street as a medium to " protect" their hard earned money more so than a path to easy riches. You have to work hard at what you do professionally in as much as the " broker" or " manager" must be working hard to maintain the value of your savings.

Once you have that in mind, you get out of the crowd and seek other path to real success; and those path a different from one individual to another. Wall Street tries to convince you that " you mr Nobody" can become as successful as Warren Buffet if you buy a few value stocks and hold them...bla bla bla! Utter crap!
Maybe if you hone your skills as a cook, you can become a celebrity chef and a millionaire culinary author! Focus on what you do best! The market objectum

Now, once aware of that and you still want to throw yourself in the game, " THINK OF YOURSELF AS A SPECULATOR", and that is a different ball game.