How do you know we are going to cross S&P 2000 this year? That sounds like market prediction to me.. One possible reason S&P 2000 may not be barrier a year from now is that we maybe struggling to cross S&P 1700 or some 200 day moving average barrier even lower.
Running Man and I joined the forum 8 years ago.. 900 often very detail posts, and few PM, I suspect is a more research than most people do on their financial adviser. In Brewer's and HaHa's case I am sure they have posted a couple of thousand financial oriented posts in the last 8 years. I am not sure how much research is needed without running into a paralysis of analysis.
At the risk of being insufferably arrogant, I'll point out I am neither an inexperienced nor an unsuccessful investor. I retired at 39, with no pension (Navy or other). I also picked what I suspect will be one of the top 10 worse years to retiree in 2000. There is a good thread on why 2000 was a bad year to retire
here. Yet some how 15 years later I have more money on both a nominal and inflation adjusted basis. Now there is a undoubtedly a lot of luck involved. But I'd argue there is a least a modest amount of skill, partly in my case its figuring which guys know more than myself. Josh Peters, the Morningstar Dividend Investor Newsletter editor is one such person. I invest heavily in dividend stocks that he recommends.
On the forum, I've singled out 3 people, but there a lot of smart people on the forum. What makes those guys special is they have said I am doing/buying X, or avoid buying/selling Y on the forum. Only in one case did they actually PM me and suggest I buy a stock. On some specific occasions, I have listened that advice and ACTED ON IT. I did back of the envelope calculation and by doing so I've made and/or save just over $100K and .
Needless to say if any of them ever make it to Honolulu dinner is on me, and we are talking
Alan Wongs, not McDonalds.