Let’s say all the brokers in the world only allowed you to pick either forex or stock trading. Which would you pick and why? 
With Stocks, you are either an investor or strictly a day trader. With anything in between, you risk getting mauled by gaps on the opens, which could wipe you out if trading on leverage. A swing trader doesn’t need that sort of sh1t in his life…so Forex.
The dunce who taught me how (not) to trade however, reckoned that retail traders had no business trading Forex, which in his view is notoriously difficult to trade. Perhaps there is some truth in that. The textbook clunker-duncery that he teaches will get you wrecked in Forex for sure, but then there is such a thing as tailoring your style to the markets that you trade, something that traders need to constantly be doing anyhow.
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I would these days trade long-term only, and either forex or indices (long only)) but would not invest, never day-trade and never go near stocks.
Rational ways to put money in stocks is to buy blue-chips on at least a 50-year time horizon. Or to trade small-caps on momentum. Neither style appeals to me.
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I dunno about 50 years.
For the average retail investor wanting to have a punt and buy and hold something with no leverage to worry about, that they own outright and may even pay a dividend any one of the big growth stocks has been a great investment for the past ten years.
Indeed, back in 2009, the last time the world was about to end, and the last time everyone had to hurry out and buy gold. Instead of buying gold, had I just bought some Dow index funds, I would have made up to 600% (with perhaps more to come in the run in to 2023 imo)
Like houses. The stock market always goes up (until it doesn’t). Equities are essentially trending markets. Forex are essentially ranging markets.
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Yeah, you may as well just wait until the market crashes, then dump 20% of your money into an ETF that tracks S&P500. Then, take your money out in 5 years.
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I think most investors in company shares are far too conservative (while most traders in shares accept far too much risk). Blue chip shares used to be an investment that would be passed on to children when the purchaser died. That’s the sort of holding period that makes a difference.
Yes, its always great to look back at the percentage price rise since a theoretical purchase many years ago. But what at that time would have prompted you to make that purchase?