Trying to finish on mutual funds:

• Pick funds that triple over the last 10 years, i.e., $10k to $30k.  I prefer really good actively-managed funds with reasonable fees because they “beat the market” (for example managers have a much better idea what to buy and when it has hit target prices; they are also less volatile than the market).
• Choose a company or app that you are comfortable with, i.e., something you can track and learn from.  I find this is easier with (primarily) one no load fund family–you can see it all in front of you, movement and performance, and easily balance it for growth and peace of mind.  This is absolutely key:  start out and learn, then make more decisions that have worked well.  You don’t have to study it, just find something you can visualize and understand.
• Make wise “trading” decisions in terms of fees, market timing, dollar cost averaging, etc.
• Again, let it sit.  It is not about timing the market or making trades.  Who cares if it goes down temporarily if you are not going to sell it?

You could reach a stage where it is fun, IE! better than betting–how many people play poker or, how big is sports betting or Bovada?

—

Ever heard of Obamaphone?  It was a low-cost cellular program for people without a means of contact.  The application part notwithstanding, it was designed to be simple.

Sprint (normally not a good company to deal with) was a provider.  Now Tello is probably about as simple and inexpensive as you can get with create-your-own plans starting at $5/month.

It is too bad that somebody in government or the stodgy mutual fund industry didn’t create a similar plan.  It could be three simple boxes:

[stextbox id=’info’]Interest-bearing Savings[/stextbox]

[stextbox id=’grey’]Stock Fund[/stextbox]

[stextbox id=’warning’]Growth Stock Fund[/stextbox]

And make it simple.  It, a 401k or IRA, is a savings account–the best tax-free or employer-sponsored savings opportunity you will have.