I've been swing trading US equities for five years, and my returns have beaten the S&P 500 every single year by an average of 3%. But I still can't shake the feeling that active stock picking is becoming a loser's game — institutional algorithms now execute 60% of trades, and retail investors are picking up pennies in front of a steamroller. Is it realistic for a part-time individual investor with a day job to consistently outperform low-cost index funds after fees and taxes?