A lot depends on how you're counting. The S&P 500 is about five percent higher than it was five years ago, at about 1,330. Not much growth, but no real loss either. Of course, it spiked at 1,565 and dropped below 800 between then and now. But fifteen years ago, it cracked 700 for the first time. Stocks are not a good short-term investment, but even now I own a few mutual funds, mostly index. You probably want to stay out of it now that you are out of it.

I've got one junk bond fund that has steadily made me around 7 percent for years. I have no idea why. And since a lot of the shares are in our regular brokerage account instead of the IRAs, I had to pay frigging taxes on it.