A little over two years ago, I was setting at my neighbors kitchen table and he laid out some papers listing his investments--- about $200,000 all in cash equivalents. I told him you need to have some money on the stock market! He said he used to, but when 9-11 happened he pulled it out. That was 17 years ago. He never got back in after pulling it out. I suggested he should buy a Total Stock Market Fund, he didn't, then I suggested he just get his feet wet with just $10,000. Nope.