If you believe the commercials from on-line trading companies you'd think a monkey could do it. If you walked down Investor Way and surveyed everyone you passed, you can bet that the vast majority would say they beat the market. You'd better hope so, because not beating the market is so uncool it's akin to a teenager wearing last year's fashions.
Studies show that investors tend to overstate their performance.
That's a good question, and one we'd like to help answer. First, it turns out that measuring your performance isn't easy or straightforward. Contrary to popular belief, most investors do not beat the market. Beating the market is a nebulous goal. Hardly a valid benchmark, especially if you're focusing on retail or high-tech.