If a salesman came up to you on the street and offered you an investment that had only a 54% chance of making money, would you think it was a good bargain? Probably not.

Over the past 65 years the S&P 500 index has had a positive daily return less than 54%. With odds like that, one might think that some skepticism in stock investments was warranted. And yet, over the course of those 65 years, the S&P has risen over 12,000%. Even though it has lost money almost half the time, taking that 54% bet over and over again turned out to be very profitable. At times, market movements feel like they’re going one step forward, one step back—or at times even one step forward, two steps back. But over time, stepping forward 54% of the time is enough to build a great track record.

Past performance is certainly no guarantee of future results. We can only hope that the next 65 years are as good for the market as the past 65. The potential is there, though. And obviously, market volatility does pose obstacles. If you have $10,000 today and you really, really need to make sure you have $10,000 tomorrow, investing in a market that goes down 46% of all trading days is not a very good idea. Investing in volatile markets takes a certain mindset and a longer term investment timeframe. Call or visit us to discuss what investments would be suitable for you.

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The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly.