I agree that ETFs are the sane default choice (assuming you curate the choices to low-fees and sensible aims). But there are definitely places where individual

I agree that ETFs are the sane default choice (assuming you curate the choices to low-fees and sensible aims). But there are definitely places where individual consumers can feel close enough to the ground to feel some specific market trends. For example, just look at the how many PC hobbyists made a mint on AMD shares just by noticing "they launched a killer product in a time period when their biggest competitor has been whiffing badly?" They may not time the market perfectly, but plenty of them will end up well in the green. This is really the classic, pre-ETF/mutual fund stock-investment model, though-- long holds and relying on actual performance, rather than day-trading and riding on volatility or diversified large numbers.