To expand on this point, Benjamin Graham gives an excellent layman's breakdown of why pursuing an index almost always prevails against trying to "beat the marke

To expand on this point, Benjamin Graham gives an excellent layman's breakdown of why pursuing an index almost always prevails against trying to "beat the market" in The Intelligent Investor. If you're looking to make money with the market, and you're not looking for a particularly high amount, and time is not an issue, an index fund is the way to go.