Re:The Wealthy Are Hoarding $10B of Bitcoin in Bunkers
by wpietri on Wednesday May 09, 2018 @04:38PM
(#17033833)
Index funds receive dividends from the stocks, so you're investing.
This may be hidden from you if the index fund (or your broker) automatically reinvests. But either way, you own economically productive assets that a) create value for customers, and b) throw off a stream of cash. Even if the S&P 500 is at the exact same level in 50 years, you'll still gain significantly. That's obviously not true of commodities (e.g., gold, silver) or currencies.
This may be hidden from you if the index fund (or your broker) automatically reinvests. But either way, you own economically productive assets that a) create value for customers, and b) throw off a stream of cash. Even if the S&P 500 is at the exact same level in 50 years, you'll still gain significantly. That's obviously not true of commodities (e.g., gold, silver) or currencies.