Just over half of Americans have anything invested. This includes all retirement accounts as well as individual holdings.
90% of the value of the stock market is held by 10% of investors.
"The Fed estimates that 58 percent of U.S. households have some money in the stock market, mostly through retirement funds like IRAs and mutual funds. But given that just 7 percent of stock market wealth is owned by the bottom 90 percent, with only 1 percent owned by the bottom 50 percent of households,"
It is a depressing reality, but it is reality. More people need to understand that the stock market is irrelevant to everyday life for everyday people. It's a game, and we don't get to play.
It's alarming that your comment is in reply to a comment that's a reply to a comment that's a reply to a comment that explains exactly why people have this view. Your "normal joe schmo" is the bottom 90% of the stock market ownership, the vast majority of which is 401ks - not everyday life, but retirement. The only "build wealth" they will get out of that is passing it down as inheritance.
Cut to $14B in stock buybacks that could absolutely provide everyday wealth, instead is funneled to the top 10% stock market ownership. This is the part joe schmo will never have access to in our current environment.
Edit: clarifying bottom 90% ownership = 7% overall stock market value.
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u/Groovychick1978 5d ago
Just over half of Americans have anything invested. This includes all retirement accounts as well as individual holdings.
90% of the value of the stock market is held by 10% of investors.
"The Fed estimates that 58 percent of U.S. households have some money in the stock market, mostly through retirement funds like IRAs and mutual funds. But given that just 7 percent of stock market wealth is owned by the bottom 90 percent, with only 1 percent owned by the bottom 50 percent of households,"
https://inequality.org/great-divide/stock-ownership-concentration/#:~:text=Based%20on%20this%20estimate%2C%20the,dollars%20in%20stock%20market%20wealth.