so, a cd. You can't buy an index fund, because for the timeframe we're talking there's a high risk the market will be down when a big opportunity presents itsel

so, a cd. You can't buy an index fund, because for the timeframe we're talking there's a high risk the market will be down when a big opportunity presents itself. My problem with the article is that it's missing the important piece, which is the types of opportunities this guy is talking about. My personal experience, is about once or twice a decade a good investment (10% APR or better with low risk) comes my way. Housing is an obvious one in a several areas, but I've also seen business opportunities as well. I'd say it's not great advice in general for most people though. You have to be vigilant for opportunities, and for most people, if you already have a mortgage, 401k is often better than IRA since it's matched (be careful of 401k with >1% annual fees, there's an inflection point where lifetime fees costs more than the matching).