WHY invest in the stock market

I came across this article in the internet and I would like to share it with you guys...

Michelle Hogan
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/women_and_investing/17689

Well, let's face it, shall we? No one ever promised us a rose garden...or maybe they promised but...the statistics say that most women will not get married as soon or stay married as long as we expect to. Further, we have a nasty habit of living 7 to 10 years longer than men, and like it or not, 9 out of 10 of us will be on our own financially at some point in our lives. We are also more likely to spend more time out of the workplace raising children, relocating with a spouse, continue our education or starting our own businesses. This is all great. It's encouraged, yet it is highly underpaid, very hard work.

Did you know that 75% of the elderly people living in this country below the poverty level are women? Another nifty statistic is the fact that the average woman will spend 14.7 years away form the "workforce", compared to her male counterparts 1.6 years. Don't overlook that lost income. These are missed opportunities to contribute to 401K programs and other investment options.

Money is a touchy subject, though, isn't it. Couples fight about it, in laws quiz you over it. The American public has a misconception about money. Money equals power. Money equals image. Most respondents to a Worth magazine survey said that the feature they would most likely change about themselves is the amount of money they have. The quest for money transcends age, race and gender.
It seems odd, then, if money is so completely on our minds that very few Americans, particularly women, actually feel confident handling their money. Money and certainly investing seem to have obtained some mystical quality that only "they" can supercede. Did you know that only 5% of the country has 5 or more investments? And that 51% hold all their money in checking or savings accounts?

Let me throw a couple of interesting numbers at you. If you put $10,000 into an index fund right now, in ten years it will be worth about $19,700. If you take that same $10,000 and invest it wisely in the stock market, using a long-term approach, history has shown that your investment will swell to $51,600, and that's assuming you don't add anything to it between now and then! By investing for the long term, by trying to envision your life in 10 or 20 years you can have a portfolio generating higher and higher dollar profits.

Furthermore, women are ideally suited for investing. I say this because most women aren't afraid to ask for directions...and you'll need to dig for plenty of information when picking your stocks. Women also understand cycles...very well I might add. Pick a handful of stocks from each sector. Look at their charts from the past 5 years or so. Notice the changes. Notice the cycles. Now, while I don't recommend trying to predict a cyclical dip, remember that what goes up generally does come down, at least once in a while. Women like to shop. They like to hunt for a bargain, at least most women do. And while I don't recommend buying the cheapest stock, do your homework. You'll find some great opportunities to buy some great stocks. Don't be put off by "popular" opinion. If a stock looks stable to you, if you know the sector well, and if you have done enough research to belive it's a good buy, stick to your guns. It could pay off in the end.