Abnornal Returns has a great new piece and I've provided a link here:
http://abnormalreturns.com/there-has-never-been-a-better-time-to-be-an-individual-investor/
In addition, I picked out a paragraph and a half that dovetails nicely with some of the stuff I have been writing about recently. Namely, the emotional/psychological side of trading. Take the time to read the whole blog post by clicking on the link... it's an individual investing macro viewpoint that you won't regret seeing.
"However this example points out the double-edged sword that is today’s markets. Now we do have access to all manner of investment and trading vehicles. However like any tool these vehicles need to be used responsibly. The vast majority of investors should likely take a pass.
The reason is that despite the much technological advancement we have seen in investing our brains are still largely hardwired for an age of scarcity. That is why so many of our innate behavioral biases work against us when investing. That is why we consistently buy high and sell low, i.e. the behavior gap. That is why we often only seek out (and recognize) that information that conforms to our long held beliefs, i.e. confirmation bias. In the end the most difficult hurdle to investment success is not the market environment or the range of investment vehicles, it is us."
