Asset classes. Invest in stocks, bonds, real estate, and commodities. Typically, a diversified portfolio consists of 60 percent stocks and 40 percent bonds. These percentages would be reversed in a more conservative portfolio.

Sectors. Diversify your investments among various industries, such as technology, healthcare, and energy.

Geography. Consider international investments if you want to protect yourself against domestic market downturns.

One more thing. You should perform periodic rebalancing and checkups once you have established a target mix. Without rebalancing your portfolio, stock growth might leave your portfolio with a risk level inconsistent with your goal.

8. Get the Most out of Tax-Advantaged Accounts

If you contribute as much as possible to tax-advantaged accounts such as 401(k)s, IRAs, or HSAs, you can reduce your tax burden and accelerate investment growth.5d:{"type":"p","text":"$5e"} 60:T415,Additional benefits include:

Tax-deferred growth. Until you withdraw your investment, it grows tax-free.
Employer matching. Often, employers match employee contributions to retirement plans. An employer might match $0.50 for every $1 an employee contributes (up to a limit). Vanguard found about half of employer plans offered only matching contributions, about a third offered matching and non-matching contributions, and about a third offered neither. Employer matching averaged 4.6 percent.
Tax-free withdrawals. When you retire, you can withdraw money tax-free from Roth IRAs.

Overall, tax-advantaged accounts are a great way to boost investment returns and reduce taxes.

9. Adopt a Long-Term Mindset

The key to successful investing is patience and discipline. Poor decisions and opportunities are often lost when

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