1. Why You Need the Stock Market to Achieve Your Financial Goals

If you want to retire comfortably, support your children’s education, or fund a future goal, the stock market can be a powerful tool to help you reach your financial dreams. Investing in the stock market has consistently outperformed other asset classes, making it the best option for long-term growth.

For decades, the stock market has delivered higher average annual returns than bonds, gold, real estate, or cash savings, helping investors build wealth over time. As shown in the chart below, the stock market’s historical returns make it a top choice for those looking to grow their money and secure their financial future.

_{Sources: Performance data for Stocks, Bonds, Gold, Real Estate, and Cash are from Aswath Damodaran at the Stern School of Business at New York University. "Stocks" reflects the performance of the S&P 500 (dividends included). Gold returns were calculated from price information obtained from the World Gold Council and the London Bullion Market Association (LMBA). "Bonds" refers to returns on the 10-year US Treasury Bond. Real Estate returns were derived from housing data compiled by economist Robert Shiller. "Cash" returns reflect the performance of US 3-month T-Bills. The average Inflation rate over the 1928-2024 period was calculated from the U.S. Government's Consumer Price Index.}