[glenmorangie_14]

The SP500 was around $950 in Sept of 1997. It was also around $950 in July of 2009. I would say the stock market went no where for 20 years.

I don't think it is fair to call 2001 and 2008 "blips". Their combined effect was we lost 20 years worth of potential growth.

[loco5niner]

It certainly didn't go nowhere. Obviously, if someone bought and sold their entire portfolio on those (VERY cherry-picked - just look at the graph, lol) days, they would have made 0 dollars.

But look on either side of that blip and there is plenty of profit.