I'm also an index fund skeptic mainly because it's now such a convention that taxi drivers and shoeshine boys will tell you that's where you should put your mon

I'm also an index fund skeptic mainly because it's now such a convention that taxi drivers and shoeshine boys will tell you that's where you should put your money. People used to say the same things about investing in real estate and many other things and for a time in history those things were demonstrably the best investment long term, until it wasn't. It looks like now is that time again for the stock market to look good. It still doesn't mean it's a bad investment either and no one will blame you if you suffer with everyone else when it goes wrong. However, it's also never worth putting all your money into unless you can afford to ride through a slump that could last well over a decade.