When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000 picking individual stocks went out of style, says Jim Cramer

Group 1 - The article discusses the shift in investment philosophy from individual stock picking to index fund supremacy following the dot-com bubble burst in 2000 [1][2] - It highlights the argument made by proponents of index funds that individual investors are either too uninformed or imprudent to manage their own investments effectively [2][3] - The article argues that while index funds may provide steady returns of 8 to 10% annually, they do not offer the potential for significant wealth accumulation that individual stock investments can [4][5] Group 2 - The author asserts that it is indeed possible to outperform the market averages, specifically referencing the S&P 500, which contains a mix of both good and bad stocks [5][6] - The article emphasizes that owning an index fund does not guarantee wealth, as it includes underperforming stocks alongside the successful ones [6]