I firmly believe that the stock market can still be an awesome way to build wealth over time. Driven by that belief, I put my money where my mouth is, investing in stocks via my Roth 401(k) plan with every month's paycheck and in my Roth IRA with each year's contribution.

Yet while stocks still have the potential to create great levels of wealth over time, they're a terrible source to tap for money you need right now or in the near future. As 2022 so rudely reminded us, stocks don't always go up. Your bill collectors won't wait for the market to recover from a rout in order to demand payment for things you've committed to buying. In addition, life happens, and we all face unexpected costs from time to time.

That cold, hard reality is why I'm not all-in on stocks.

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Source Fool.com