What to do with $10,000 now
Given the uncertain economic picture, you probably have a chunk of change squirreled away. Here's how to best use that cash.
Pick the right retirement target
Want live the good years somewhere like Durham, N.C., our best place to retire? But you're getting a late start and want something you can buy and forget? A target-date fund, which adjusts a mix of stocks, bonds, and cash to suit your gold-watch date, could be for you.
But these funds can have very different styles. For example, Vanguard's 2020 fund has 66% of assets in stocks; Oppenheimer Transition 2020 has a riskier 76%. Check a fund's allocation at Morningstar.com before making a choice. And if you aim to retire in 2020 but want more safety than Vanguard's 2020 fund, you might buy its 2015 fund (59% stocks) instead.
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Last updated October 18 2010: 11:56 AM ET
