"my brother turned down my last attempt to get him in again."

Interesting. Did he happen to tell what he would have rather been in when everything crashed at the same time? You could have had him in anything and he would have had massive loses. Or his he just reluctant to be in anything you happen to suggest?

Of course, if he doesn't usually invest at all, then yes, he would have been better off just having his dollars in his mattress instead of believing you.

Terry