Reading the article about the number of people who became millionaires by investing their retirement plans in the stock market (Sun Journal, Aug. 27) makes me wonder — do we teach high school students how to open an investment account? In a country where individuals may invest in corporations and receive profits from companies, it makes sense to me to teach kids how to do that.

Most high school seniors know nothing about investing in the stock market. It takes courage to walk into a brokerage office and say, “Do you have someone who will teach me how to get started with stocks, and how to understand the stock market?”  It would be a lucky day if they found someone who said, “Yes. We have an account planner who would be happy to work with you.”

If the student tried to understand the stock market and started buying about $50 worth of a no-load mutual fund every month, they would be off to a good start. After awhile, if they began buying a small number of shares of common stocks, eventually adding bonds, etc., those investments and the time they spent trying to figure it out, would give them a blessedly easy retirement.

Yes, stocks can go up and down in value but, over the long haul, investing in good companies and having the courage to hang in there when things go down will, historically, yield wealth.

Shouldn’t that possibility be taught to young people?

Allidah Iles, Bethel