When it comes to investing, many people have been lied to. Investing isn’t about getting rich. It’s about keeping your money safe, and growing it for the future. This may seem like a surprise, but if you have dreams of getting rich in the stock market, it is time to give those up and focus on a more sensible approach.

While we would all like to be one of these big shot stock picking guru’s who can turn outsize returns year after year, the simple fact is that this almost impossible. In fact, many experts believe that those who do make these kind of returns are simply getting lucky. Even if they are, they still have had years of training, and work full time (often amazing amounts of hours) to do what they do. You think you can beat them by spending a few hours here and there reading Yahoo finance? I don’t think so. Getting rich as a regular investor can only be accomplished by sensible planning, and a ruthless eye for cutting investments costs.

Investment costs: commissions, expense ratios, taxes, and more, all conspire to take away your hard won gains. By reducing these expenses as much as is humanly possible, you will greatly improve your chances at actually growing your wealth. Be on the lookout for these expenses, cut them down, and enjoy being free from the great investing lie.