So I posted earlier about how I was trying out an account with Zecco.com. They advertised free stock trades, which I thought was really cool. It seemed great at first, and now I am a bit confused and pissed off.

A couple weeks ago I tried to log on the see how my stocks were doing. It wouldn’t let me in. I am positive I am putting the right password in, but it won’t work. I haven’t been able to call them about it because of being at work so much, but I will call them soon.

So today, I got an email from them saying that now, in order to get 10 free trades a month, you need to have $25,000 in your account with them! That is ridiculous, as they originally got people in like me, who can’t even spare $1000 as a minimum to invest with other sites.

So now I’m wonderng if this is why I can’t log into my account. Also, I realized that I can’t sell the shares I currently have without getting charged a trading fee, which is probably something like $12 a trade because that is what other discount sites offer.

Okay, so if they need to charge for trades to function, fine, but I’m mad that they advertised it as free, and have basically taken $100 of my money, and will charge me to get it back. Damn them!

Credit: sxc.hu/somadjinn

Sure, there is plenty to learn about investing, and all kinds of fancy investing strategies and terms. However, you don’t need to know all of them to be able to take advantage of the stock market. What you do need to know is that by NOT investing, you are missing one of the best ways to build a retirement nest egg.

Why the Stock Market?
Since 1925, no 10-year period has paid negative returns. On average, if you invested equally in every single stock on the NYSE for any 10-year period, you would earn 13% per year (source: lots of charts). Of course, some years you might lose huge amounts-notice that the Great Depression occurred after you began your investment. Luckily, other years paid enough interest to make up for those losses.

The Easy Way to Win
The easiest way to earn a good return from the stock market is to invest your money in as many different stocks as possible, then leave it there until you retire. It is also easy to buy into hundreds of stocks at once thanks to mutual funds-you never need to buy an individual stock. The idea is that if you can leave your money in stocks for at least 10 years or so, you should be able to ride out any big drops in the market, and make that average of 13%.

These days, you can’t count on the average 13% return. The stock market has changed since 1925 and some people think that the very high returns since then may never happen again. However, even earning 8% every year is far better than a savings account, even a long-term account like a CD.

Where it Gets Complicated
The complications come when people hope to earn more than average from the stock market. This is very difficult to do, and few people succeed at it. For most people, a strategy of contributing to their retirement savings and earning the average interest will get them to their retirement goals.

However, in the end, everyone must develop their own investment strategy based on their own goals and willingness to take on risk. Understanding the more complex parts of the stock market can help you figure out what you’re comfortable trying out, and who knows, you might find it fun!