I've met plenty of rich investors but I've never met a rich 'saver'.
If you're one of those people who think they should put their extra dollars away in their bank account so you can start saving for retirement you're in the wrong state of mind. I'll keep this short and sweet so here's an example...
High interest banks these days return about 5% per year on what you keep in an account there.
That's not bad, but considering inflation is right around 4% per year, what do you expect to accomplish by stashing away your cash. Unless you already have millions put away and spread over several accounts you are probably losing money after taxes and banking fees.
So what's the smart thing to do?
Unless you are 5 years from retirement already you should start by taking advantage of every investment opportunity you run into. Of course you need to make intelligent decisions but if the return outweighs the risk and you believe in what you are investing in then do it. You will only get a handful of opportunities throughout your life that can significantly change your financial position but that doesn't mean you should look at everything skeptically because you are scared to take the risk.Every smart investment gives you the chance to change your future. The only time you need to save your money is if you're saving up for a big investment. You shouldn't retire with a nestegg or a lump sum of cash, you should retire with hands-free business making you money every day of your retirement.
Writers note: The internet is a gold-mine right now and will be for the next decade. Start buying websites and hold on to them while more and more people gain accessibility to the internet.