It's called Gambling in Las Vegas, Investing on Wall Street

Betting, Investing or Gambling?

The words used to describe different activities (often with the same underlying principles) to make some appear more scientific or valid or legitimate than others is fascinating.
One example is to classify the financial activities as "Investing" and bets in Las Vegas as gambling.
As people have seen their retirement accounts shrink dramatically the question being is asked is about investing, and the advisors are recommending "long-term" investing. At its core, investing and gambling are not different, they are the same. One plays the game for entertainment. It should not be assumed that investing, short or long-term, guarantees principal, let alone return on principal.

Stocks: Is It Time to Start Betting on a Recovery?

Companies of all sizes, under financial pressure, are "retrenching on the 401(k) front," says Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. GroupGeneral Motors, (GM) Eastman Kodak, (EK) FedEx (FDX) and Sears Holdings (SHLD) are among the companies that have suspended their 401(k) contributions, according to the center.A survey released Wednesday by research and consulting company Spectrem Group says 29% of employers intend to reduce or eliminate contributions to "defined-contribution retirement plans" in the next 12 months.While the survey has a large +/- 8 percentage point margin of error, other surveys back up the dire forecast.A mid-February study by employment consulting company Watson Wyatt Worldwide found that 12% of 245 large companies have already cut their 401(k)/403(b) matches — and another 12% plan to do so in the next 12 months.Most workers are unprepared to fund retirement.Using data from the Federal Reserve's 2007 Survey of Consumer Finances, which was published before the financial crisis, Munnell pegged the median 401(k) balance for those approaching retirement at $60,000.Given the stock market turmoil, those retirement funds are likely only worth about $40,000 now, she says.