This is a perfect example of why you need to be super wary when investing on your own -- the technology, resources, and knowledge in the hands of these big firms is simply unattainable by individuals.
Real profit from investment comes from finding something that is below "true" price and buying it, or finding something that's above "true" price and selling it.
When small investors try to evaluate stocks and bonds, they compete with just about every hedge fund, fund manager, investment bank prop trading group.
On the other hand, small investors can attempt to profit by looking at investments that allow for relatively small dollar profits. For example, small real estate investment properties (e.g. houses with rental apartments) with values of, say, $300K, provide potential profits that are too small to be worth a large investor's time. In contrast, smaller investors should find the time spent vs. potential upside quite reasonable, and will have to compete only with other small investors -- which makes it more likely they can find investments that are a good deal.