Mutual funds vs Individual stocks

I am new to investing, and I am looking to make as much money as possible over the long term (15+ yrs).

I have done a lot of research the past few weeks, have invested fake money, and have come to the conclusion that this is a lot more complicated than I first expected.

There seems to be potential to making good returns on individual stocks. Buy x undervalued company, sit on it for awhile, then sell when it gains 10 or more percent. However, it doesn't always work.

On the flipside, I've read that molany professional investors can't beat the sp500 over an extended period of time. It would make sense that I can't do it either, and should just stick to a mutual fund.

Also, factoring in the price of comissions, capital gains taxes and other fees, and the fact that for me to make abover average profits, someone else has to lose, I'm leaning toward mutual funds being the smarter option.

So, reddit, what do you think? I'd also like advice on the best mutual fund or individual stocks for long term gains, along with your opinions. Thanks.

Submitted February 25, 2016 at 06:11PM by Tydaljames http://ift.tt/1S4HOS0