Remember back in the 1990s when a lot of people either retired early or became wealthy? It was relatively simple. With stock prices going up, up, up, I knew a lot of people who simply invested part of their paychecks. They ended up with several hundred thousand dollars in profits from their constantly rising stocks.
I knew others who had already amassed several hundred thousand by the time the stock boom came along. They were millionaires by the time the 1990s ended.
Ah yes, those were the days. Today most people will tell you it’s a lot harder. Stocks don’t seem to do much any more. You have to invest in risky emerging countries to see much return. And that chance can evaporate overnight taking your money with it.
When the stock market won’t bring you any return, most people turn to real estate. But housing prices have peaked in most cities, meaning you can’t just buy a house and sit on it for several years to earn a fat nest egg.
So does that mean we have to give up on ever getting ahead and just learn to be satisfied living the “average” life our jobs can provide?
Not necessarily. These days you have to...