Why The ‘Average’ Stock Market Return Doesn’t Work
When you’re calculating the average stock market return, percentage returns aren’t reliable.Example: you have invested $1,000 in the stock market.Your first year, you lose 30% of your initial value. That hurts. You now have $700 in the stock market.Luckily, in your second year, you gain 30%.YEAHH, that means I’m back on track for the $1,000 right?Well, almost. $700 + 30% return = $910.
When you have had a loss, it takes a larger percentage growth to return to your initial value. That’s why it’s best to check an online calculator that takes the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
Even when we look at the average stock market returns over a period of 10 years, there is no real average that we can point out.Volatility is very real in the stock market, and you can see that in the table.