[quote=The-Shoveler]If you were fully invested in stocks in 2000,

your just about even now, woowhooo.[/quote]

You are incorrect.
A portfolio invested in the S&P 500 or a 60/40 mix of stocks and cash since 2000 would not be even today.

I rolled over an IRA in early 2001 and kept 60-70% in stocks, mainly S&P 500 index, the rest in mainly short-term bonds, cash and a sprinkling of REITS.

I started with ~$51,000 in Jan 2001. Added nothing through August 2012 and at that point the account was worth ~$77,000 (after that I rolled over another 401k into it so I no longer really know what the return is, but the market is up 5-7% since August).

During that period Dec 31, 2000 to August 31, 2012 the value of the S&P 500 went up by only 7-8%.

So, why did my account grow by about 50% from the end of 2000 to ~ end of 2012, when the market went up by only 7 or 8% ?

Was I some sort of genious or something ?

No, the answer is simple: interest and dividends.

It takes a dividend + interest rate of about 3.5% on average over that 11-12 years to make the portfolio grow by 50%.