Index funds can be the best option for some people. If a person doesn't desire or is incapable of managing a stock portfolio, index funds are the best option. This is especially a consideration as we get elderly. I am currently putting all my wife's dividends into an index and will start putting mine into an index at retirement, since she will not want to manage the stock portfolio when I die.
An index should also be used by most people if the goal is capital gains (price increase). Repeated studies have shown that most people sell at the wrong times due to price variability. In addition, capital gains are almost impossible to predict.
Owning individual stocks can make sense for a dividend stock investor. Dividend investors focus on the income, so they are less likely to sell out at the wrong time. In addition, dividend index funds are notorious for having low yield. I am currently running a model index fund in parallel with my portfolio to evaluate index funds. My very preliminary conclusion is that overvalued stocks in the index pull down the yield, which can be avoided by the individual stock investor.
If you invest in individual stocks, buy quality (good credit rating), buy at a good valuation (i.e. a stock forward PE ratio less than the the market forward PE ratio), get a yield higher than the corporate bond rate minus inflation, get an earnings growth rate higher than inflation, and get a stock with a payout ratio less than 80%. Buy at least 20 stocks. Don't sell any stock unless the dividend is cut.
An index should also be used by most people if the goal is capital gains (price increase). Repeated studies have shown that most people sell at the wrong times due to price variability. In addition, capital gains are almost impossible to predict.
Owning individual stocks can make sense for a dividend stock investor. Dividend investors focus on the income, so they are less likely to sell out at the wrong time. In addition, dividend index funds are notorious for having low yield. I am currently running a model index fund in parallel with my portfolio to evaluate index funds. My very preliminary conclusion is that overvalued stocks in the index pull down the yield, which can be avoided by the individual stock investor.
If you invest in individual stocks, buy quality (good credit rating), buy at a good valuation (i.e. a stock forward PE ratio less than the the market forward PE ratio), get a yield higher than the corporate bond rate minus inflation, get an earnings growth rate higher than inflation, and get a stock with a payout ratio less than 80%. Buy at least 20 stocks. Don't sell any stock unless the dividend is cut.