[Dazarath]

[ QUOTE ]
...they would be broke by now.

[/ QUOTE ]
FYP

Ok, obviously, that's not always the case, but it may very well be if one thinks that just starting earlier will make him richer. It still takes knowledge of the market to earn money picking stocks. I don't mean to be offensive, but right now, your post sounds like the kid who wants to hop onto Party because "his friend earned $x playing poker online".

The thing with picking stocks, is that it's very -EV if you don't know what you're doing. You'd probably be better off playing slots; you'd lose less that way. With mutual funds, if you pick ones that have experienced managers, it should usually be +EV, even if it trails the market. Plus, there's the added advantage of lower volatility (as compared to an index fund) for those who are risk adverse. If you just want to match the market, an index fund is the way to go.