[greenyoda]

"There was also a popular article(NYT?), which I can't find the link to at the moment, that showed me that only if you invest in the market for around 30 years or more, can you get a decent return. To me that makes sense if you want to leave your kids a little something after you're gone but not for your own lifetime."

What about investing for your own retirement? If you start investing when you begin your first job (usually in your 20s), and you expect to retire in your 60s and live into your 80s, that'll certainly give you at least a 30-year investment horizon.

[scorpioxy]

I'm already in my early 30s and my circumstances did not allow me to start investing in my 20s even if I had the knowledge. I won't get into it now but it wasn't possible then. So that means I can only start investing now. Assuming that you do follow the expected timeline, what does retirement mean? Spending money for when you're no longer able to work? That assumes that you actually own your own home and only need spending money + medical expenses. And how can you unless you've invested in your 20s plus have you seen the current real estate market(Australia)?

I'm not sure I have a specific point except to say that the math stops working unless you follow the exact path expected.