3% is the high-end of the “consumer” (aka “chump”) interest rates. In fact, since inflation is about 3%, over time your money doesn’t grow. (Though, if you’re earning less than inflation your money is actually decreasing in value, so maintaining is better than that)

I got a 2.9% rate for my car loan and a 3.625 for my house. both pretty close to 3. Are my banks chumps?

The S&P500 with dividends reinvested has averaged a real (post-inflation) return of 7% annually over the last 100 years or so.

100 years isn't really "these days," though.

Not sure what that is supposed to mean. It's ~9 % the last ~5 years.

But only ~4% over the last 20 [0]. If you cherry pick start and end dates, you can make stock market returns look as good or bad as you'd like.

[0] https://www.portfoliovisualizer.com/backtest-portfolio?s=y&t...