An important point is that stocks are really financial tools that are a means to an end. Investors should be able to answer the question “Why am I considering stocks at all?” Stocks are a great vehicle for wealth building, but only if investors realize what they can accomplish and how to use them.
Oie of the essentials of stock investing is understanding risk. Most people are clueless about risk. You can’t avoid every type of risk out there. (Life itself embodies risk.)