The Banks have always taken people's money. Ignorant people's money that is !
Forest Gump said it...." Stupid is as Stupid does".
The problem with most socalled investors is that they rely upon a broker to give them investment advice.
The same as we see here on ATS, people won't open a book but choose to watch a You Tube video instead.
A Broker is a mere salesman and makes his money on the transaction and will tell you practically anything to motivate you to execute a trade, which is
inevitably how he gets paid.
Martha Stewart was a Wall Street Broker and was caught using a common ploy, and eventually was convicted of it, in which she using inside information
"Advised" her clients to buy a particular stock, driving the price up after which she and the insiders would then sell.
This is also why we see a huge growth in "Discount Brokers" because the brokers "Advice" isn't worth Crap !
I have done very well investing by following my own research and advice and by following major trends, for example in products consumed by Baby
Boomers.
I for years have advised people to get out of stocks and buy Gold instead.
I might as well have said " Beaver Pelts" !
But some heeded my advice to buy Gold in 2006 at $580/oz and have doubled their money !
As it is said, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink !~
It isn't only Obama, who works as a Wall St. Cheerleader.
But remember GW Bush's solution to Social Security reform in 2005, which was to have Americans invest in the stock market in lieu of contributing to
Social Security ?
And having all Americans buying at the top of the market to lose not only their 401K retirement savings but also their Social Security !
What a boon for the brokerage firms and Wall Street that would've been !
And what a tragedy it would've been for the Americans who believed GW's sales pitch.