Excerpts from Money Magazine – March 2012

 S&P’ s own research shows that in most market sectors, a majority of managers fall short.  So embrace indexing, except in areas where talent sparkles: international small-cap stock and emerging-market bond funds…. Be picky – choose funds from the low cost, consistent performers in the Money 70 lineup of funds.

[Retirement]

Even though your income disqualifies you from investing in a deductible or Roth IRA, you can put funds  in a nondeductible IRA and then convert the account to a Roth.

Since 2010, no income limit to convert a traditional/nondeductible IRA to Roth.

Converting – esp. advantageous if you’ll face a higher tax rate in retirement than you do now –> hard to predict.