Your first goal is to not spend more than you earn. In particular, do not carry credit card debt month to month. There is no point in trying to figure out how to maximize return for a given level of risk if you are in debt beyond your home mortgage (~4%) and low interest (1-2%) car loans. The reason for this is that you likely are spending more on interest for your loans and, particularly, credit card debt than you ever would recoup by investing an equivalent amount minus fees, taxes, and your high interest debt. Continue reading Investing for Retirement: Building Your Net Worth by Budgeting, Saving & Investing