What Shareholders Actually Own: Rights, Claims, and Protections

In this episode of Money Lessons, Andy explains what you actually own when you buy a share of stock. He explores the concept of the residual claim — why shareholders are last in line during bankruptcy but first to benefit when companies thrive — and walks through the four key rights of common stock ownership: voting, dividends, information, and the right to sell. 

The episode also covers the bankruptcy priority hierarchy and why the risk-return tradeoff of equity ownership has made stocks the primary engine of long-term wealth creation.