[ninja2789]

Don't think of the stock market as being limited to buying Company A vs. B. You have access to other asset classes (bonds/commodities/emerging markets) through mutual funds and ETFs.

Building wealth is a long-term thing. Understanding what you're buying and knowing what your goals are will be key to building your assets so you gain access to the more interesting investment options (rental properties, hedge funds, etc).

Note, I said more 'interesting', not necessarily better.

Good luck.