Given the events that have transpired over the past week with GameStop, this QoD provides great opportunity to discuss the perils of day trading. 

Answer: 3%

Questions:

• Why is day trading so popular despite the difficulty of making money consistently?
• Why do you think it's so difficult to make money day trading?  
• Do you know anyone who has actively traded stocks? Were they successful for more than a few days?
• What's the difference between investing and speculating?  

Here's the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (CNBC):

A study published in June of almost 1,600 Brazilian day traders that tracked their activity for one year concluded that only 3% made money. The authors avoided claims that day traders can make money over short periods of time (a day or a week), and concentrated on day trading activity over longer periods.

Their conclusion: “We show that it is virtually impossible for individuals to day trade for a living, contrary to what course providers claim. 

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Want to use GameStop as a "teaching moment?" Here are some resources and professional development opportunities: 

Resources

• FinCap Friday: Until the Game Stops
• Podcast: Yanely and Tim talk GameStop (15 minutes)
• Op-ed: Gamestop’s costly financial lesson for retail investors (CNBC): NGPF weighs in on importance of financial education

Professional Development

• Virtual PD (Monday, February 8th at 3pm PT): GameStop: Teaching Moment About Investing Pitfalls 

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.