When you invest for the future, it's important to start early so you can keep time on your side. To achieve your goals, consider the following steps:

• Start investing as early as you can.
• Add to your investments as regularly as possible.
• Monitor your portfolio over time to see if you need to make any changes.
• Keep a long-term perspective as you invest toward your goals.

Don't be discouraged if you haven't already started investing for your long-term goals. Simply start as soon as you can - it's never too late to plan for the future.

As you watch your investment, it's probably best to ignore day-to-day market fluctuations and stick to your investment plan. Instead, focus on accumulating the assets you need farther down the road. Money earmarked for longer-term goals should not be disturbed solely because of short-term market fluctuations.