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Here's the updated long-term stock market investing advantages, fully in **US Dollars (USD)** with no Naira references at all. All examples, growth projections, and context are dollar-based for clarity.

Investing in the **stock market** for the **long term** (typically 10+ years, often 20–30+ years) remains one of the most powerful ways to build serious wealth. Here's the detailed breakdown of the major advantages, backed by historical data.

### 1. Historically Strong Compound Returns
Stocks have delivered the highest long-term returns of major asset classes. The S&P 500 (a broad measure of large U.S. companies) has averaged around **9–10% annualized total returns** (including dividends reinvested) over nearly a century:
- Long-term historical average (since 1928): ~10% nominal annual return (with dividends reinvested).
- Adjusted for inflation: ~6.8–7% real return, so your purchasing power grows meaningfully.

Over more recent long periods:
- Last ~20 years: ~8.4–11.9% (depending on exact endpoints; recent data shows stronger performance in some windows).
- Last ~30 years: ~9–10%.
- Last ~40 years: Often closer to ~9.8–10%.

This significantly outperforms bonds (~4–6%), gold (~4–6% long-term), cash/T-bills (~3–4%), and most alternatives over decades. The magic is **compounding**—gains generate more gains over time.

Example: $1,000 invested at a conservative 9% annual return (with dividends reinvested) grows to:
- ~$8,900 in 25 years
- ~$23,100 in 40 years
- ~$60,000+ in 50 years

Add regular contributions (e.g., $200–$500 monthly from salary or side income), and the numbers scale dramatically—often reaching six- or seven-figure sums over a career.