Investopedia contributors come from a range of backgrounds, and over 25 years there have been thousands of expert writers and editors who have contributed. Charlene Rhinehart is a CPA , CFE, chair of ...

The S&P 500 averaged 14.8% returns annually from 2012-21, despite fluctuations. From 2014-24, the 10-year average was 13.45%, totaling over 250% return. Longer-term stock investing is more reliable ...