[icedchai]

You really should do both. A small amount of your funds should go in to high growth.

One of my gambling portfolios is full of high growth semi-conductor stocks like AMD and MU, and SaaS stocks like CRM and HUBS. I have triple digit returns for the past couple years.

[pbreit]

Most individual investors, including younger, should have little or no money in individual stocks but instead in something like a Vanguard diversified portfolio of cheap index funds/ETFs. If you want to take 5% or 10% of your worth to the stock casino, sure (after paying off all your credit cards and maxing your 401k/IRA).

[icedchai]

I do both. I have about 20% of my net worth in individual stocks, the rest in low cost index funds/ETFs.

The biggest gains and losses, of course, obviously come from individual stocks (and options, if you're feeling brave.) You're not going to see triple digit yearly returns with a mutual fund. You might find it on the next SaaS growth stock.

When you're young, you should absolutely take on some risk. (That includes working at startups!)

[adventured]

> You really should do both. A small amount of your funds should go in to high growth.

Projecting your subjective investing preferences, risk vs return, onto someone else doesn't work. If someone is only comfortable investing in very low risk assets that will always produce a low return, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. It strictly comes down to what you personally want out of the total equation.

[toomuchtodo]

Spot on. Everyone's investing goals and risk tolerance levels are different. It'd be criminal to put my 87 year old grandmother in high growth, unprofitable equities.

[icedchai]

Agreed, but most of the people on this site are not 87 year old retirees. It would be criminal for them to miss out on those returns.