The 20 Savviest Investment Moves to Make Right Now

1 | Decide where you want to go

What does your perfect life look like five, 10, 20, 40 years from now? Where do you live? How will you spend your time? Whom, if anyone, will you be supporting? What makes good investment sense for most people may be in total disharmony with where you want to be. You need a plan that's all about you—bespoke, not off the rack. Thinking out-of-the-box with the endgame in mind can pay off massively in your wealth-creation plans. And that's just one of the 25 Rules for Early Retirement.

2 | Invest in ETFs

Investing god John Bogle, the founder of Vanguard, loves exchange-traded funds, and you should too. For one, they cost much less than mutual funds because there aren't monkeys behind them pulling the strings. Second, they're more tax advantageous. "ETFs are tax-efficient and have lower turnover than actively managed mutual funds—just 3% of iShares ETFs distributed-cap gains over the past five years," says Martin Small, head of U.S. iShares at BlackRock. So which ones to choose? "Investors should accentuate 'good' taxes with potentially higher-yielding ETFs such as dividend growth and preferred stocks," he says.

3 | Stop trying to strike gold

Chances are that your portfolio probably won't outperform the stock market year after year. In fact, smart savers should simply aim to capture the average growth of the stock market. In Stocks for the Long Run, author Jeremy Siegel's research showed that for the period between 1926 and 2006, stocks produced an average real return of 6.8%. "Real return" means return after inflation. Before factoring inflation, stocks returned about 10% per year. Continue to increase your net worth with these 25 Wealth-Building Tips.

4 | Get a 360-degree financial advisor and accountant

Online tools might make it tempting to go it on your own. An hour of professional consultation may look expensive. But over your lifetime, one insight from that meeting might create hundreds of thousands of dollars of wealth. Get a financial advisor to look at your wealth from all angles, including your investments, career, business, home, family and will. As a doctor does with your physical health, you want an advisor and accountant that take a holistic approach to your wealth creation. For some more old fashioned—but never dated—advice, here's Why Real Men Carry Cash.

5 | Try Defined Outcome Investing

Defined Outcome Investing limits the potential outcomes of an index or security (e.g., the S&P 500) to pre-set protection and return levels, allowing for a more controlled investment experience. According to Michael Riley, managing member of Coastal Management Group LLC, "Defined Outcome Investing will change the world of investing." Riley also advises "buying index funds or ETFs with low fees when fear is palpable" to increase wealth. To learn from the best of the best, here's How the World's 15 Richest Men Got That Way.

6 | Yes, for the Umpteenth Time: Diversify

Never bet on one horse or let yourself get spooked and pull your money when the market goes south. "Be diversified in your investments and dollar-cost average," says Melissa Spickler, a Merrill Lynch financial advisor based in Michigan. Remember: When the market falls, that means stocks are on sale—the time to buy. "Stay invested when the markets fall. This is the biggest mistake people make is they panic and never go back in at the right time," says Spickler. (And remember: having confidence and discipline is one of the 15 Reasons Why Women Love Older Men.)

7 | Plan for emergencies

You will experience an emergency in your lifetime, so be prepared. You may lose your job and need to cover living expenses from your savings for several months. To prevent a drama from becoming a crisis, know what expenses you can cut in a time of emergency and what contingencies may exist for the large expenses. Sock away enough for six to eight months of living expenses. In the meantime, here are the 31 Best Ways to Save for Retirement.

8 | Automatically invest your raise or bonus

Commit to saving 10% to 30% of your after-tax income. Then put it to work in investment vehicles that may reap big returns over the long term. "If you earn a raise, simply have the amount of the raise (after taxes) sent straight to pay down your credit card bills, sent to your retirement account or an investment account," advises Robert R. Johnson, president and CEO of The American College of Financial Services. Because you haven't gotten used to living off that cash, you'll never miss it. If you're finding yourself overlooked for that raise or bonus, here are the 10 Ways to Deal with a Difficult Boss.

9 | Set boundaries

Don't watch your investments minute-by-minute—or even day to day—but do track them on a monthly basis. Study where your money is and just how well it's performing.

10 | Cut expenses

Watch your investment expenses like a hawk, and be ready to move in for the kill. "These can eat up your wealth in a way you wouldn't believe, adding up to hundreds of thousands of dollars by retirement if you're not careful," says Arielle O'Shea, an investing and retirement specialist for NerdWallet. She recommends doing a fee audit early in the year, looking at investment expenses and account fees, then shopping around to see if you can get better deals somewhere else. Keeping your costs under control is just one of the 25 Things That Rich People Always Do.

11 | Skip that vacation home or boat purchase

Although they might be good lifestyle investments, typically neither are good financial investments. Boats are expensive and often become watery money pits. Second homes can cost a fortune to maintain. File your ego away and consider owning vs. renting a vacation home or staying in hotels. If you're looking for a great (temporary) getaway, here are the best 8 New Luxury Vacations.

12 | Make sure your portfolio contains the lowest-cost investments

401(k)s often take advantage of their cozy name recognition to cold-heartedly pick your pocket. Over time, they can dramatically slow the growth rate of your money. Assuming a 7 percent annual return and fees and expenses of 0.5 percent, a 401(k) contribution of about $7,795 per year over 35 years will get you to $1 million. But if your fees are 1 percent higher (1.5 percent total), you'll need to save $1,895 extra per year to make up for them. And once you're retired, here are the 40 Best Ways to Spend Your Money.

13 | Know that no amount is too small

If you haven't started investing or haven't boosted your amount a cent in years, do it. Today. "The person who sets aside $100 a month and actually invests that money will, in the end, be much further ahead than the person who waits for a good investment opportunity," says Walt Woerheide, professor of investments at the American College of Financial Services and Frank Engle Chair of Economic Security Research. Don't worry: if you have a windfall later on and can invest even more, we've got all of the great ways to make up for lost time.

14 | Be tax-savvy

Even if your funds are managed passively, you can't afford to take a hands-off approach to the tax implications of your gains. "BlackRock believes stock markets are in for an extended period of subpar returns, even with the recent rally. That means minimizing costs is more important than ever," says Martin Small, head of U.S. iShares at BlackRock. "Investors should make this the year to be tax-smart by aiming to reduce capital gain distributions that are triggered when fund managers realize a profit on the sale of a security. Regardless of your fund's return, you can owe taxes on it."

15 | Don't keep up with the Dow Joneses

Unless you have a job in finance, you can't exert much influence on the markets. So why waste you time glued to the indexes or watching Jim Cramer jump up and down like a meth-addled hobgoblin? Instead, focus on what you can control: Putting money in a broadly diversified, low-cost portfolio — and not dipping into that money. It's one of the 6 Money Moves to Make Now!

16 | Determine your risk tolerance level

Often overlooked but vitally important: Ensure your investments match the risk you're willing to take (and the younger you are, the more that should be). "Some people are willing to take on a lot of risk, yet they invest primarily in CDs and money market accounts. Others are invested too heavily in stocks, and when there's a downturn, they panic and sell to cash," says Benjamin Cummings, PhD, associate professor of behavioral finance at the American College of Financial Services. In case it's not clear: You shouldn't do either.

17 | Invest in your home

Depending on where you live, how much space you need and how many people you live with, owning your own home may be a very wise choice. In fact, if you don't own your own home, you could be breaking an important rule of the 1%. If you already have a home, be sure to invest in it. Upgrades to kitchens and bathrooms will pay dividends in the long run. That's just one of the 40 Things to Do in Your 40s!

18 | Know your employers' matching policy

A 401(k) match will make you a millionaire much faster than going it alone. But pay attention to your employer's vesting schedule for the retirement plan. Until you're fully vested, you may not get to keep employer contributions to your retirement account. In some cases, you might need to remain with an employer for five or six years until you can keep your match. Don't get caught off guard when you've accepted what you think is a sweet job offer elsewhere.

19 | Care for your assets

Otherwise sound investments in homes and other tangible assets can go bad if you don't maintain, preserve and update them in a smart way. A car in good condition will command a much higher resale value for example. Being organized and healthy is also conducive to wealth creation.

20 | Still don't know where to start? Buy everything

Invest in the entire stock market through a fund such as the Vanguard Total Stock Market Index (VTSMX). Sure, you give up the chance to make 20 times your money, but you're almost guaranteed not to lose your shirt either. In fact, in the past five years, nearly 70 percent of mutual funds that own shares in big companies failed to beat the market, and small-cap, mid-cap, and international funds did even worse versus comparable indices, according to data from Standard & Poor's.

For more amazing advice for living smarter, looking better, feeling younger, and playing harder, sign up for our newsletter—delivered every day!