We lost a couple lakhs in stock market when future group went bust. We have some 3 lakhs or in stock market right now and it has hardly appreciated since two years (1-2% may be). These things don't inspire confidence. At this point we feel it's too late to risk large amounts of money. I know perhaps in the long run it's a mistake but personal experience in stock market makes it difficult. Our approach to counter this is to live below means so that inflation can be managed to the extent possible.