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For years, retirement wasn’t a major priority for one 32-year-old father. But after landing a well-paying job, building a family, and taking a closer look at his long-term finances, he decided it was time to get serious.

The investor shared on Reddit that he had been “pretty nonchalant about retirement” but recently opened Roth IRAs for himself and his wife while also increasing contributions to his workplace retirement plan. Now that he has young kids and a steady job, he wanted to make sure he was setting his family up for the future. His main question was straightforward: “What do I invest in?”

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Getting Started

The investor said his company matches 100% of his 401(k) contributions up to 4% of his pay, and he was already putting in 10% of his paycheck. He and his wife also planned to add $600 a month to each of their Roth IRAs.

Initially, he was considering a portfolio consisting of the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSE:VOO), Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (NYSE:VTI), and Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (NASDAQ:VXUS).

But experienced investors quickly pointed out that some of those funds overlap significantly.

One commenter explained that VOO, which tracks the S&P 500, is already largely contained within VTI, which owns the entire U.S. stock market. “There’s no benefit in buying both,” they added.

The same commenter encouraged the investor to spend time understanding what each fund owns instead of simply collecting popular ticker symbols.

“A good portfolio isn’t just a collection of frequently named tickers,” they said.

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Several investors recommended simplifying things even further by using the Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (NYSE:VT), which combines U.S. and international stocks into a single fund.

For people who want more say over how their retirement money is invested, a self-directed IRA can be another option. IRA Financial’s Self-Directed IRA allows investors to put their retirement savings into things beyond traditional stocks and mutual funds, such as real estate, private businesses, and cryptocurrency. The account is straightforward to open, doesn’t come with hidden fees, and is designed to meet IRS requirements.

Why Many Investors Prefer A Simple Approach

The idea of putting all your money into one fund that invests around the world came up again and again in the discussion.

One investor said they are “100% VT” and added that having a single fund helps investors stay focused on saving and avoid constantly tinkering with their portfolios.

“You can argue in circles for hours,” they wrote, but a simple approach often keeps people invested and contributing consistently.

See Also: Empower’s Retirement Fee Analyzer shows exactly how much you’re paying in fees across your 401(k), IRA, and other retirement accounts — and calculates how those fees compound against you over time. Most people are surprised by what they find.

Others suggested pairing U.S. and international funds, such as VTI and VXUS, while some discussed whether investors in their early 30s should include bonds. Opinions varied, but most agreed that the exact allocation matters less than starting early and staying invested.

The original poster appeared relieved after learning more about how the funds worked.

“Honestly had no idea that VOO was in VTI,” he replied. “I may just go with VT then.”

Many commenters also liked the retirement plan he already had in place after he shared that his 401(k) was invested in a low-cost target-date fund. Several pointed out that these funds spread your money across many different investments and gradually shift to safer options as you get closer to retirement.

At 32, with decades until retirement and a commitment to consistent investing, many believed he was already on the right track.

Read Next: Retirees With $1M+ In Savings Are Rethinking Their Tax Strategy — Here’s Why Some Are Turning To Specialized Advisors

Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market

Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. Economic cycles shift, sectors rise and fall, and no one investment performs well in every environment. That’s why many investors look to diversify with platforms that provide access to real estate, fixed-income opportunities, precious metals, and even self-directed retirement accounts. By spreading exposure across multiple asset classes, it becomes easier to manage risk, capture steady returns, and create long-term wealth that isn’t tied to the fortunes of just one company or industry.

Arrived

Backed by Jeff Bezos, Arrived Homes makes real estate investing accessible with a low barrier to entry. Investors can buy fractional shares of single-family rentals and vacation homes starting with as little as $100. This allows everyday investors to diversify into real estate, collect rental income, and build long-term wealth without needing to manage properties directly.

Immersed

Immersed is building technology for the future of work through spatial computing. Known for its AR/VR productivity platform that enables users to work across multiple virtual screens, the company has grown to more than 1.5 million users worldwide. Immersed is also developing Visor, a lightweight headset designed specifically for professional productivity, positioning the company at the intersection of remote work, extended reality (XR), and next-generation computing.

Vinovest

Fine wine and rare whiskey have historically moved independently of the stock market, making them a compelling alternative asset. Vinovest manages authenticated, insured portfolios of investment-grade wine and whiskey starting at $5,000 — sourcing, storage, and insurance all handled for you.

EnergyX

EnergyX is a clean energy technology company focused on direct lithium extraction and refinery technologies for the lithium-ion battery supply chain. Its proprietary DLE systems are designed to recover lithium from brine resources more efficiently and with less environmental impact, supporting efforts to expand lithium supply for electric vehicles, grid-scale storage, and other battery applications.

FarmTogether

Farmland has historically held its value through market volatility and delivered returns uncorrelated to stocks and bonds. For accredited investors, FarmTogether offers direct access to high-quality U.S. farmland starting at $15,000 — fully managed, with no landlord headaches.

EquityMultiple

For accredited investors looking beyond stocks and bonds, EquityMultiple provides access to vetted commercial real estate deals starting at $5,000, with only ~5% of opportunities passing their due diligence process.

Fundrise

Private real estate and private credit can add income and stability to a stock-heavy portfolio. Fundrise offers access to diversified private real estate and credit strategies through an easy-to-use platform, with professionally managed portfolios designed to generate passive income and long-term growth.

American Hartford Gold

American Hartford Gold is a precious metals dealer that helps clients buy physical gold and silver coins and bars, either for direct delivery or within self-directed precious metals IRAs. The company’s services include gold and silver IRAs, IRA rollovers, and home delivery of bullion, giving investors a way to use tangible metals to diversify portfolios and seek protection against inflation and market volatility.

Mode Mobile

Mode Mobile is changing the way people interact with their phones by letting users earn money from the same apps and activities they already use every day. Instead of platforms keeping all the advertising revenue, Mode Mobile shares a portion back with users who engage with content, play games, and scroll on their devices. Named one of Deloitte’s fastest-growing software companies in North America, the company has built a large beta user base and is scaling a model that turns everyday smartphone usage into a potential income stream.

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This article After Being ‘Pretty Nonchalant About Retirement,’ He Finally Decided To Open A Roth IRA At 32. ‘What Do I Invest In?’ originally appeared on Benzinga.com

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