Personal Finance

If you’re a typical investor, you’ll likely spend some 60 years of your life moonlighting as a money manager. You start with decisions about your first 401(k) plan, and you continue to and through retirement.

You are likely to face many challenges along the way. Young people who hold too little in stocks or fail to start saving early enough may hamper their finances for decades to come. Retirees face a bigger challenge: If they hold too much in stocks, a bear market could decimate their portfolios, but if they hold too little, inflation will quietly kill their purchasing power.

In the links at left you’ll find advice for investors in five life stages—from those who are just starting out to those who have already retired. For each stage, we offer one or more portfolios, consisting mainly of our favorite mutual and exchange-traded funds, and we offer suggestions on how to reach your goals.

At times, you may want to hire an expert to guide you. “There’s no magic net-worth number” that dictates when you need professional help, says Jared Snider, with the Oklahoma City office of Exencial Wealth Advisors. But if you find that the complexity of your finances has sprawled beyond what you can manage, you may want to hire a pro.