%% Partly true; but single stock risk is more/in some cases bankruptcy like DAL, LEH,Bear Stearns, ……... Besides QQQ, QLD TQQQ, [UPRO,SPXL] perform plenty good. However I had much fun in the trade ''HEAR/Turtle Beach'' LOL/true, so I see your point. BUT I could work 72 hours a week on single stocks + not figure its enough...…………………………………………………………………………………...Takes all kinds to make a market.
according to E*Trade trading this cost: 12 mo P/L for ETFs range from -98% to 472% - should find something;
Put money in end of every week or month and FFS don't trade LOL Doing it, via a Spot account trading Index's poor to slightly less poor in several very painful years.
Find a sector you like and work it. With a small amount Biotech under 5 is a possible play. Find one about to get a trail 2 or 3 result. Do your analysis, technical and fundamental. Find a good entry and scale in. It will go or not. Scale out. Don't let the money sit dead in a stock for too long. Here is a basket. Concentrate your bets at first. Best of luck
Fundamentally, knowing 21st century science is key. Biotech gets a lot of money flow. There are so many private companies, and less Public so vet the companies. For example, there is a limited to none, play for the "Solider Fly Feed" market. Micro-Biome space had one and one was bogus with no trials and mostly press releases. If you think "gene-therapy" is where money will flow, there are lots of play like in that basket. The point is you can find a sector and work it. Get a basket, not a small boat load. Work the basket, Trade it, scale it, swing it. You seem reasonable so as long as you do the work, you can grow the account. Sometimes its just work.