Hi all. I'm going to start by saying that I'm a complete novice on investing. I'm a noob but I'm trying to not get taken for a rube. Anyways, I'm looking to take $1000 and start a retirement fund/Roth IRA and I'm looking for some tips and opinions before I throw my money into it. Here goes: After a bit of poking on the internet, it seems like the Vanguard STAR and the Vanguard Target 2045 Fund might fit my needs but I'm not sure which of the two I should chose or, perhaps better said, how I should really be evaluating the funds to begin with. From what I can discern, the STAR has a 60/40 stock/bond ratio that never changes while Target has a (roughly) 90/10 that shifts over time. Here are my thoughts/concerns/things I need to be set straight about... The Target looks like it has a better return on paper of about 8% vs. the STAR's 6ish%, but the performance of both funds over the last decade is about even. Is this track record a better estimate on how each would likely perform over 30 years, or does the exceptional nature of the rough stock market circa 2008 unfairly weigh the Target Fund down? -That 90/10 ratio on the Target Fund irks me a little. Regardless of wether or not I go with Vanguard or someone else, am I wrong to find that a little risky? What is a "safe" stock/bond ratio and what's a "risky" one? -What features in general should I be looking for in a Roth IRA/retirement fund? What is a decent annual rate of return? -Is the "contribute and forget it" nature of the STAR and target funds a viable course for retirement savings? I have little money right now and while I hope that changes as I get my career going, for now I probably won't be able to contribute more than $1500-$2000 annually to the fund. I'm someone very much on the margins and I'm cautious, even a little leery, about investing. Thus my instinct pushes me towards things like the STAR fund. However, I don't want to screw myself out of real, folding money in the long run if another fund pays a better rate of return with little more real appreciable risk. My situation though is, as you may have gathered, I don't really have the knowledge to evaluate such risk. Hence why I've come to you all for advice. Really, any pointers folks may have on setting up a retirement are welcome. P.S.- I've named the Vanguard funds, but I'm not dead set on those particular two. Consider them examples.