Check out the returns from the S&P 500 over rolling 5, 10, 20, and 30 year periods.

Questions: 

• Investment gurus often say that “you should invest for the long-term.”  Do you agree or disagree with that statement based on the data you see in this chart about long-term stock market returns?
• As an investor, do you think you would have the fortitude to remain invested even when seeing loss during a bear market?
• Will investors be satisfied just earning the market return (this chart is based on the performance of the S&P500)?

Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (Capital Advisors Ltd.): 

"A few things stick out:

• Over longer periods of time (20 and 30 years) the stock market has generated nominal returns of about 9% and real returns of about 6.5%.
• There has not been a time historically when stocks have had a negative nominal or real rate of return over longer periods of time (20 and 30 years).
• Further, the volatility of stock market returns become more stable as time goes on as the volatility (as measured by standard deviation) decreases."

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Dig deeper with the NGPF Data Crunch: Are Stocks a Risky Long-Term Investment?

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About the Author

Mason Butts

After graduating from UCLA with a Master's in Education, Mason spent 5 years as a science educator in a South Los Angeles public high school. He is committed to supporting the holistic growth of all students and empowering them to live a life of relational, academic, and financial success. Now settled in the Bay Area, Mason enjoys facilitating professional developments and partnering with educators as they prepare students for a bright financial future. When Mason is not building curriculum or planning a training, he can be found cycling, trying new foods, and exploring the outdoors.