Agree with the points -- it's just not Investing 102. I think in order to keep the thread on track -- and to get people to actually START to save and invest... we've all got to keep the message simple and on point.
I'm not ARGUING with Sieg.... far from it. I'm just saying that "concepts" are nice - but usually hard to put into practice. We need to practice walking before we can run... and we need to start out just buying (investing) in simple concepts that can show success. Make it too complicated -- (it's not really - once you're into it - but for this discussion it "could be") and you'll loose people.
I've actually deleted several posts before I submitted them because after I read them - I thought - too much info... too much thinking...
To me - it's kinda like that chart of XOM and CVX --- just buying either one got a good result... 10 years LATER one was better than the other - but who would have known that when they were hitting the buy button? Better to have just bought either one - or a little of both? - and reap the rewards!
In THEORY -- we're trying to show why dividend paying stocks are good investments (not necessarily better than some other particular stock) long term... and that to just get started looking at and understanding your investments, is better than ignoring them.