My secret to a happy retirement fund….

I’m the farthest thing there is from a savvy investor. Really… when it comes to investing, I’m worse at that than I am at playing sports, and that is really saying something.

So my secret isn’t to gain money, it is not to lose money. I sock money away in what look like the most boring, adventureless investments and I watch like a hawk the expenses.

I don’t gain much money, but I don’t lose much either. And given that I’m pretty cynical when it comes to banks, pensions, investment experts, financial journalists and the like, it is the only way I can maintain a retirement account and maintain my sanity as well.

Here’s an example:

The Department of Labor offers the example of two 30-year-olds, each with $25,000 in a retirement account. The first account has an expense rate of 0.5%, the second has a rate of 1.5%. After 35 years, with identical investment returns of 7% (and no additional contributions), the first account would grow to $227,000 — but the second would total just $163,000.

Among 401(k) Investors, a Big Information Gap – Encore – SmartMoney.