[Edaily Reporter KWON HYE-ME ] John Lee, CEO of John Lee’s School of Wealth, recommended investing in ETFs and emphasized that long-term accumulation over time is more important than quick profits.

On the 2nd, a video titled “What You Must Know If You’re Investing in Stocks for Retirement: The Purpose of Investing Isn’t the Rate of Return” was released on the YouTube channel “Saemet TV.”

In the video, CEO John Lee listened to the concerns of a woman in her mid-60s, who said, “I’m worried because I don’t know how to invest in stocks. I recently saw a news report saying that people in their 20s who tried investing in stocks all ended up losing money,” adding, “I want to invest, but I’m at a loss as to what I should study.”

CEO John Lee responded, “I think the problem was a lack of financial education. Many people in their 20s and 30s invested in leveraged products,” he said, emphasizing, “It’s because of the desire to get rich quickly. You can never get rich overnight. You have to invest time.” He continued, “For a woman in her mid-60s, isn’t the investment horizon already set? The allocation of your portfolio to stocks is crucial,” advising against investing in leveraged products.

Another individual investor asked, “I’m planning to open a stock account for my newborn, and I’d like to hear your opinion on what stocks to buy and how to manage the account.” CEO John Lee responded, “That’s a great idea. The greatest asset this child has is time,” and recommended specific funds, saying, “The best option is an ETF. Even just buying two—such as an S&P 500 ETF, which invests in 500 U.S. companies, or a KOSPI 200 ETF, which invests in Korean companies—is sufficient. Or you could split it 50-50.”

However, when asked by an investor whether it was acceptable to invest all the money in their retirement pension into an S&P 500 ETF, he replied, “I don’t think you necessarily have to do that. Investing 100% solely in the U.S. isn’t a good idea. I think it’s better to invest in Korea as well,” adding, “Personally, I don’t think the mindset that the U.S. is always the best is a sound investment strategy.”

He emphasized, “What’s the reason for investing in stocks? It’s to prepare for retirement. The purpose of stock investing isn’t a game of chasing returns. Returns will rise again over time,” adding, “From the perspective of someone building a stock portfolio, a weak stock market is actually a good thing.”

CEO John Lee also criticized the habit of checking stock returns daily. “You buy 100 shares and then stare at your phone every single day. That’s gambling. Gambling and investing are different,” he said. “You might be interested in whether foreign investors are buying or selling today, but in the long run, what matters is what AI means to you and whether these companies are actually making money,” he added.

Another investor in his late 50s left a comment for CEO John Lee asking, “I have a lump sum of money. Please advise me on whether I should invest it all at once in an ETF or through a regular investment plan.”

In response, CEO John Lee recommended investing the entire amount at once. He said, “It depends on the person. If you invest 100 million and the stock market happens to crash right after, it can be scary. For people like that, spreading the investment over a month is a good option, but investing all at once generally yields slightly better returns.”