So, of course, stocks headed higher in the days and weeks that followed, as I waited for the big drop.I waited months. By the time I actually moved the money into a stock-heavy target date fund — not because the market had tanked, but because by that point I had developed fear of missing out — stocks had continued climbing.
That is, I knew that the stock market generally rose over time and was a good place to put long-term savings, such as for retirement. The specifics, though? Not so much., I did some research: I asked a co-worker near me which fund she was choosing. She rattled off the name of it. I told her it sounded good so that's what I decided to go with, too.
Now, this was long enough ago that I have no memory of the fund's performance or my account balance when I eventually moved the money to another retirement account.For all I knew, the fund I picked was in "safe" investments that may not keep pace with inflation and not provide the kind of long-term growth that stocks would have. I also didn't know what the fund was going to cost me every year in fees.
A friend of mine said at the time, "Whatever you do, make sure you get a home inspection before you buy it."
1 worst decision would be to vote red. Nutshell