i am getting to the point where i do not believe there can be a return.

You know, like the thought about putting one gold coin in a bank, at 0 AD, returning a mere 4% per year, and today you would have more gold than all the gold in the world.

The stock market is going up and up based on the FED printing (stealing money from everyone) to buy more bonds. So, for the view of the stock market going up, we are actually making everyone poorer.

If we had a known quantity of money, (like Litecoin) and that was all the money in the world, how could anyone make a % return? The only way is to create more goods with less labor. But that doesn't make a % return, it makes more things cheaper. (or the money gets more valuable)

But, the entire world is sold on the way to get rich is to make huge % gains.
Its all a ponzi scheme. As far as the eye can see, ponzi schemes.
At least at the roulette table you have a chance of winning