The single best move to make money in stocks

Stocks closed out 2019 in stellar fashion. That should be cause for celebration. But there’s one group that has missed out on much of the market’s gains–millennials. Just 49% of millennials in the United States (those ages 23 to 39) held stock at any given time in the last two years. Because a much larger percentage of Americans in the same age range held stocks before the Great Recession, observers say that stock performance in 2008 is the main reason that many millennials steer clear of equities. Who can blame them for being a little gun shy? In 2008, the S&P 500 plunged more than 38%. But holding on to that kind of trauma can be dangerous. The turmoil that shaped the economy during millennials’ formative years has kept them away from recent market successes. The timing of the Great Recession meant that a group of millennials started their careers in a tough job market, and those who found jobs faced wage stagnation in the early years of their careers, making it less likely that they would have extra money to save and invest and therefore harder for them to accumulate wealth. According to a report by the Federal Reserve