The only problem is that I've only got $5k to invest, especially if I'm maintaining a healthy rainy day fund. And I'm not throwing all $5k into a single stock. That's why I'm not on a gold plated yacht.

The truth is you could be a financial genius but if you grew up in a middle class family and have basically zero inherited wealth, you're not going to have the money to invest.

It's far more likely that those financial geniuses are just not worried about retirement or college tuition for their kids. Because the strongest correlating factor for getting richer is already being rich, and not being smart with money.

The real question is... why aren't all yachts now gold-plated yachts? If my father gave me $1 billion 40 years ago, I would have to be literally the dumbest idiot in the world--or the unluckiest schliemazel in the world--to have less than that now. Instead, I just got a debt-free bachelor's degree, and so I'm not rich now, but still doing okay.

I don't think I can beat wall street except when wall street doesn't know how to respond.